---
title: "Chinese Scientists Figured Out How to Beam Quantum Messages From Satellites"
description: "Scientists just blew the distance record for long-range quantum-encrypted messages after beaming one down from a satellite in orbit."
date: "2020-08-14"
modified: "2020-08-14"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/beam-quantum-messages-satellites"
categories:
  - "Physics"
  - "Quantum Physics"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "quantum encryption"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Chinese Scientists Figured Out How to Beam Quantum Messages From Satellites

![Scientists just blew the distance record for long-range quantum-encrypted messages after beaming one down from a satellite in orbit.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/chinese-scientists-beam-quantum-messages-satellites.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via Needpix \</em\>*

## Beaming Down

A team of Chinese scientists just vastly improved the length over which they can send a quantum-encrypted message, managing to beam one all the way down from a satellite.

The transmission — which uses a quantum computer-proof form of encryption called quantum key distribution — traveled 756 miles from orbit to a facility on the ground, *[Space.com](<https://www.space.com/quantum-communication-major-leap-satellite-experiment.html>)*[ reports](<https://www.space.com/quantum-communication-major-leap-satellite-experiment.html>). That's over 12 times farther than the previous record. The experiment suggests a new era of both satellite communications and (at last) [practical quantum computing](<https://futurism.com/quantum-computer-first-practical>).

## Safe Messaging

Cybersecurity experts have long warned that quantum computers, whenever it is that they become useful, [will render useless](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/researchers-quantum-computers-hacking-tool>) most conventional forms of encryption. This new satellite experiment, which is [described in research](<https://www.space.com/quantum-communication-major-leap-satellite-experiment.html>) published in the journal *Nature*, suggests that it may be possible to send secure messages yet.

"A remarkable feature of the entanglement-based quantum cryptography as we demonstrated here is that such security is ensured even if the satellite is controlled by an adversary," University of Science and Technology physicist Jian-Wei Pan told *Space.com*.

## Happy Coincidence

It turns out that routing quantum messages through space might be better than terrestrial communications anyway, which is a happy little coincidence that helped the team blow away the long-range record by such a wide margin.

Quantum tech, as it is right now, is notoriously fragile: Signals are easy to corrupt, and well, quantum physics is already tricky as hell. So for the entangled photons being beamed around, *Space.com*, reports, the vacuum of space is like a nice and gentle, turbulence-free breeze.

**READ MORE:** *[Quantum communication takes a major leap with satellite-based experiment](<https://www.space.com/quantum-communication-major-leap-satellite-experiment.html>)*

**More on quantum computing:** *[Researchers: Quantum Computers Could Become the Ultimate Hacking Tool](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/researchers-quantum-computers-hacking-tool>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)