BEIJING, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Liu Yandong has called for more scientific and technological innovation to support economic and social development.

Liu made the remarks during her stay in the Chinese Academy of Sciences' (CAS) National Space Science Center in the Beijing suburb of Huairou on Tuesday, where she inspected the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite project.

While hailing major achievements in fields including quantum physics, iron-based superconductors, aerospace satellites and elementary particle in the past years, Liu said DAMPE had ushered in a new phase of aerospace science.

Nicknamed "Wukong," the Chinese name for the Monkey King, a character in a 16th century Chinese classic, DAMPE was launched into sun-synchronous orbit 500 kilometers above the earth's surface last month from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The vice premier asked CAS to continue to pursue fundamental research that aimed to break barriers hindering development, and identify new growth engines for the country's economic reform.