China launches world’s 1st ‘hack-proof’ quantum satellite：The Asahi Shimbun

The world’s first quantum communications satellite has been launched into orbit aboard a Long March-2D rocket.

The transfer of data using quantum communications is considered impenetrable due to a particle phenomenon known as quantum entanglement, with eavesdroppers unable to monitor the transfer without altering the quantum state and thereby being detected. Quantum communication relies on two users sending random strings of numbers to each other as pulses of photons.

“The newly-launched satellite marks a transition in China’s role – from a follower in classic information technology (IT) development to one of the leaders guiding future IT achievements”, said Pan Jianwei, chief scientist of QUESS project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as quoted by Xinhua. “It is hence impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through it”.

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.

The satellite has been tasked with testing out a potentially uncrackable communications system.

The satellite will be launched in a matter of days, it said. He was now working on his former student’s satellite.

“Beijing hasn’t disclosed how much money it has allocated to quantum research or to building the 1,400-pound satellite”.

U.S. federal funding for quantum research is about $200 million a year, the Journal reported.

“The funding means we are likely to launch 15-20 scientific satellites, if not more, by 2030”, Director-general of the National Space Science Center Wu Ji said.

As noted in the article, scientists in the U.S., Europe, Japan and elsewhere are rushing to exploit the unusual and potentially powerful properties of subatomic particles, but few with as much state support as those in China, researchers say.

According to CAS, the quantum satellite will conduct experiments on high-speed quantum key distribution between the satellite and ground stations, as well as explore quantum teleportation for the first time in the world.