China has sent the first-ever quantum communications satellite to space onboard a Long March-2D rocket, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported Aug. 16.
The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale satellite took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gobi Desert toward a sun-synchronous orbit and the spacecraft will navigate around the Earth every 90 minutes, according to Xinhua.
Xinhua reports the satellite is intended to transmit secured keys to the ground as part of a two-year mission to establish quantum communications.
QUESS is designed to help scientists test quantum key transmission from the satellite to ground stations and perform quantum communications between Beijing and Xinjiang’s Urumqi, according to the report.
