In contrast to previous Chinese initiatives that replicated the achievements of US and Russian space programmes of decades ago, the satellite would, if successful, put China at the forefront of a new technology.
Micius, named after an ancient Chinese scientist and philosopher, was launched early on Tuesday from a military base in the Gobi desert. Photons, or light particles, will be fired at it to see whether quantum physics will allow the secure encryption of long-range communication.
The theory being tested is called quantum entanglement, in which two photons have an invisible and instantaneous connection — a property Albert Einstein described as “spooky action at a distance”.
If the entanglement endures over the distance between Micius and Earth, with information passing through a network of satellites, it will in principle allow for virtually unhackable communications.
The project was a “landmark event for quantum technologies”, said Ronald Hanson of the Technical University of Delft, a leading European quantum researcher. “With this launch China has established itself as the leading pioneer towards a global quantum communications network.”
The lead scientist on the project, Pan Jian-wei at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, said the $100m satellite was so far operating properly but that it would take several months of data collection before the experiment could be deemed a success.
His team will first test sending a secure key from Beijing to the city of Urumqi, on China’s frontier with Central Asia, and then from Beijing to Vienna. The weak signal means it can only be tested at nighttime.
If this experiment is successful the team hopes to launch a second satellite within the next four to five years, he said: “for a quantum network, one satellite is not sufficient”
In a quantum internet, made up of quantum computers, eavesdropping on communication would be impossible. The satellite might also be used for experiments in quantum science over distances that were previously unachievable.
With ground-based systems, the complementary nature of photons degrades after about 300km. The record distance for quantum communication using fibre optics is just over 100km.
The Micius launch fits a global pattern of increased interest in quantum research, such as the EU’s €1bn Flagship programme for quantum technologies.
A newly wealthy Chinese state has poured money into scientific projects of a kind that lacks funding elsewhere. Funding for basic research through the National Natural Science Foundation in Beijing rose to about $10bn in 2015, still far short of the $131bn budgeted by the US in 2015.
However, progress has been stifled by a bureaucracy that values Communist party patronage networks over scientific excellence, and by the need for co-operation with the military, which controls most satellite capability.
The revelations of Edward Snowden, the former US National Security Administration contractor, of the extent of US spying on its own citizens and foreign powers have galvanised international efforts in secure communications.
Some countries mandate that servers be located domestically, creating huge expenses for US technology groups. Others have secured political mandates for costly shielding programmes.
In 2013 Mr Snowden said the NSA had penetrated computers in mainland China. His revelations played into fears of excessive US influence that were gaining ground in China’s military, security and Communist party apparatus, fuelling a military build-up and a crackdown on civil society.
FT
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