China will launch its first experimental quantum communication satellite in July, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
China is poised to become the first country to send encoded information from space that cannot be hacked. Scientists are making final adjustments to China's first quantum communication satellite. The project chief describes it as a revolution in communications.
A quantum photon cannot be separated or duplicated, which means if someone tried to decode information, the encryption would change, and the receiver would know that his letter was opened by someone.
Scientists hope the new technology will protect China from future cyber issues. In 2015, cases involving information technology in China rose by more than 120 percent, according to survey by a non-profit cyber-security institution. China plans to use its quantum satellite system to cover the planet by 2030.
On the ground, China is also building its own quantum information sharing network for use in national defense and security. At some point, China plans to connect the ground network to the quantum satellite system.
It has taken five years for Chinese scientists to develop and manufacture the first quantum satellite. In June, it will be transported to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in southwest China for final preparation and launch in July.
