QUESS is the third of four planned Chinese satellites to be launched into the orbit within a year of each other. (Photo : Popular Science)
It was launched in August last year, but the first world's first quantum science and communications satellite is ready to fulfill its official function.
"The in-orbit test came to a very successful end," Pan Jianwei, mission designer and leader, told gbtimes.com.
"All our teams will continue their efforts to finish three experimental missions as early as possible in the next few months by making good use of the currently favorable conditions."
The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale or QUESS satellite was handed over to Chinese scientists this week, according to an article by gbtimes.com.
By the end of QUESS' mission, scientists hope to unlock answers on quantum entanglement and communication, which has been described by experts as "unhackable."
Scientists from the Micro-satellite Innovation Institute, National Space Science Centre (NSSC), Xi'an Satellite Monitoring and Control Centre, and the University of Science and Technology of China are expected to take part in QUESS' experimental phase.
Experiments on Quantum Entanglement and Communications
One of the experiments involves QUESS sending entangled photons to ground stations in China and Austria to test if quantum entanglement is possible even on long distances.
Along with the experiment, scientists will be able to test whether "unhackable" communication is possible through the use of quantum key distribution (QKD), in which encrypted keys are generated through the entanglement of photos or particles at the quantum level.
Aside from being "unhackable," the report says the key will also be impossible to decrypt. Any interference or observation of the key being sent out will trigger an alert to inform the intended recipient.
Scientists are also excited as QUESS, which is also known as "Mozi" or "Micius," may provide answers to the possibility of communication through quantum teleportation.
QUESS is the third of four planned Chinese satellites to be launched into the orbit within a year of each other. It is part of the Chinese Academy of Science's strategic space science program.
