China Plans Quantum Science Satellite in 2016

[bananas]

Source: Nasa Watch

China Reveals First Space-Based Quantum Communications Experiment, MIT Technology Review

"Today, the Chinese claim another small victory in this quantum space race. Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China in Shanghai and a few pals say they've bounced single photons off an orbiting satellite and detected them back on Earth. That's significant because it simulates a satellite sending single photons from orbit to the Surface, crossing off another proof-of-principle milestone in their quantum checklist.

"... Why publish it now? The answer may be a small but significant detail revealed in the final paragraph of the paper. Here Jian-Wei and co announce that they plan to launch the first quantum science experiment into space. The spacecraft is called the Chinese Quantum Science Satellite and it is scheduled for launch in 2016. "

Read more: http://nasawatch.com/archives/2013/06/china-plans-qua.html

[bananas]

1. "Clearly, the team has been sitting on this result for some time."

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/515871/china-reveals-first-space-based-quantum-communications-experiment/

The Physics arXiv Blog
June 10, 2013

China Reveals First Space-Based Quantum Communications Experiment

The “Chinese Quantum Science Satellite” will launch in 2016 and aim to make China the first space-faring nation with quantum communication capability

<snip>

The result, say Jian-Wei and co, is that they were able to detect the returning photons at a rate of about 600 per second. “These results are sufficient to set up an unconditionally secure QKD link between satellite and earth, technically,” they add.

That’s a significant stepping stone. “Our results represent a crucial step towards the final implementation of high-speed QKD between the satellite and the ground stations, which will also serve as a test bed for secure intercontinental quantum communication,” say the Chinese team.

However, this experiment raises something of a puzzle. The Chinese team say they used a German satellite called CHAMP for their experiment. This was launched in 2000 and its mission was to make a precise gravity map of the Earth by bouncing lasers off it.

What’s curious about the Chinese announcement is that CHAMP deorbited in 2010. So a curious question is when the team did this work. Clearly, the team has been sitting on this result for some time.

Why publish it now? The answer may be a small but significant detail revealed in the final paragraph of the paper. Here Jian-Wei and co announce that they plan to launch the first quantum science experiment into space. The spacecraft is called the Chinese Quantum Science Satellite and it is scheduled for launch in 2016.

<snip>

[Katashi_itto]

2. The Teabaggers/Republicans are killing the US, while China grinds steadily ahead.

The Corporatizing of the US was the best thing that ever happened to China. In thirty years China will own the Solar System.

Think I need to learn to speak Chinese.