China launches world first quantum satellite in 'hack-proof' communications bid

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Dr Frook
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China launches world first quantum satellite in 'hack-proof' communications bid

Postby Dr Frook » 16 Aug 2016, 21:13

this is cool

China says it has launched the world's first quantum satellite in an effort to establish communications that cannot be hacked.

Key points:
•Mission aims to transmit "uncrackable" keys
•Any interference in data causes it to self-destruct
•China says quantum communications can have a big impact on the defence field

The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale, or QUESS, satellite, was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the remote north-western province of Gansu, the official Xinhua news agency said.

"In its two-year mission, QUESS is designed to establish 'hack-proof' quantum communications by transmitting uncrackable keys from space to the ground," it said.

"Quantum communication boasts ultra-high security as a quantum photon can neither be separated nor duplicated.

"It is hence impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through it."

Quantum communications technology is nearly impossible to hack because any interference to transmission of information destroys it.

With that in mind, China launched the satellite on a two-year experiment to see whether encrypted information can be sent over long distances using quantum physics.

Scientists have shown the method can be used to transmit messages over relatively short distances; the current record is around 300 kilometres, according to an article in the journal Nature.

Satellite will help with Islamist insurgency battle, China says

The satellite will enable secure communications between Beijing and Urumqi, Xinhua said, referring to the capital of China's violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang, where the Government says it is battling an Islamist insurgency.

"The newly-launched satellite marks a transition in China's role — from a follower in classic information technology development to one of the leaders guiding future achievements," Pan Jianwei, the project's chief scientist, told Xinhua.

Quantum communications holds "enormous prospects" in the field of defence, Xinhua added, and the satellite will further investigations into some of the more unusual properties of sub-atomic particles, including "quantum entanglement".

The mission is seen as ambitious, and reflects a push under President Xi Jinping for scientific innovation.

Experts say scientists working on the project will face huge challenges, but the launch nonetheless shows China taking the lead in quantum space technology.

The US and Japan are among other countries attempting to use quantum physics in space technology.

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