Solving that would turn out to be one of the greatest technological spin-offs of the second world war.

ECONOMIST: The middle age of the transistor

What is more, in addition to its direct returns, NASP also will provide technological spin-offs of virtually incalculable value to other civilian and military applications.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: The National Aerospace Plane

All this is important to the argument that space programmes have technological spin-offs on Earth though experience in the West suggests that it is often cheaper to acquire such technology directly, rather than in such a roundabout way.

ECONOMIST: China in space

With any endeavor that pushes innovation and technological progress, planning an interstellar journey will generate some inevitable spin-offs that may help us solve some of the most pressing issues of our time.

MSN: Uniting the planet for a journey to another star