Jeffrey A. Newman
China’s quantum microsatellite Jinan-1 established the first quantum satellite link to South Africa;s universite for high security communication. The link was communicated over 12,900 kilometers via laser pulses . It encrypts daya by generating quantum keys in real time and is considered extremely difficult to de-encrypt, according to reports. The new satellite is reported to be a tenth of the weight and almost half the cost of Micius. By replacing dedicated functions with multipurpose instruments, such as a device that both aims the beam and controls the satellite’s orientation, the team saved tremendous room aboard Jinan-1. The receiver also improved significantly, shrinking from 13,000 kilograms to a portable 100-kilogram device. Jian-Wei Pan is leading the work in launching four microsatellites with commercial partner China Telecom in 2026. Next year, Canada will also launch a QKD satellite, the Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite. About a dozen QKD satellite projects are currently advancing worldwide.
This accomplishment has highlighted the fact that South Africa and China are cooperating on highly sensitive projects that have applications affecting the security of China’s adversaries and the implications of quantum computing to banking institutions and military capabilities.
The paper “Microsatellite-based Real-time Quantum Key Distribution” appeared on March 19, 2025, in Nature.
Jeff Newman JD MBA, represents whistleblowers nationwide relating to major tariff fraud concerning imported Chinese goods as well as Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases under the False Claims Act (Qui Tam), and SEC, IRS and FINCEN whistleblower programs. He can be reached at Jeff@JeffNewmanLaw.com or at 617-823-3217
