Outerspace

Decoding China’s quantum satellite experiments

 On August 16, China launched the world’s first quantum communications experiment satellite into orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.

The small satellite, named Micius after an ancient Chinese philosopher, is tasked to establish a hack-proof communication line – a quantum key distribution network, while performing a series of quantum entanglement experiments in space for the first time.

The quantum science satellite (QSS) program is the third mission of the 2011 Strategic Priority Program on Space Science that includes a series of satellite launches between 2015 and 2030 to explore black holes, dark matter, and cosmic background radiation.