The Chinese satellite, which was created to operate for two years, is carrying a quantum key communicator, quantum entanglement emitter, quantum entanglement source, quantum experiment controller and processor and a laser communicator.
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It is nicknamed “Micius”, after a fifth century B.C. Chinese philosopher and scientist who has been credited as the first one in human history conducting optical experiments.
It was early Tuesday in China when the world’s first quantum-communications satellite was sent into orbit from a center in the Gobi Desert.
Based on the quantum phenomenon that a tiny particle acts as if it’s simultaneously in two locations, quantum computing could dwarf the processing power of today’s supercomputers. At the same time, the information being intercepted would “collapse” or self-destruct. The distance between the two ground stations is about 1,200 km.
While China isn’t the only one running the quantum race, the resources allocated to research and development have put it ahead of the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries seeking to exploit the vastly unexplored properties of subatomic particles. However, in quantum computers, data could exist in both states simultaneously, holding exponentially more information.
However, like a coin with two sides, quantum mechanics also serves as protector of information. The satellite and the ground-based network will ensure the secure passage of information, Pan said.
The mission is the brainchild of Pan Jianwei of the Acadey, China’s quantum space pioneer.
What makes it much harder is that, at a speed of eight kilometers per second, the satellite flying over the earth could be continuously tracked by the ground station for merely a few minutes, scientists say.
Given the high sensitivity of QUESS, people could observe a match being lit on the moon from the Earth, Wang added. Now they are waiting to see QUESS’s performance in operation.
After that, metropolitan secure communication networks have been developed and demonstrated in Boston, Vienna, Beijing, and Tokyo, and many more examples of quantum metropolitan networks have been demonstrated in the last five years covering Canada, Italy, U.K. and Australia, he said.
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QUESS will be the world’s first quantum communications satellite, but other countries have plans of their own, having recognized the possibilities for encryption.
