‘Handshake’ shows China’s quantum satellite performing even better than expected, says scientist
Micius, as it is called, is preparing to conduct the first quantum physics experiments in space that may help solve important riddles of the universe
The world’s first quantum satellite Micius is doing “very well” in space after its launch earlier this month, with all on-board scientific instruments meeting or exceeding expectations, a senior scientist involved in the project said.
Major preparations were completed a couple of days ago, paving the way for ground-breaking experiments in communications and physics, Professor Wang Jianyu told the South China Morning Post.
Last week, some astronomy enthusiasts observed unusual light beams at a ground station in Xinglong Observatory, Beijing. One of the photos was posted by high energy physicist Dr Cao Jun on his social media account on Sunday.
The Micius was sending a green laser beam to the ground while the ground station was shooting a red laser to the satellite, according to Cao. The photo exposure took 200 seconds, creating a red “fan” and a bright green line cutting across the starry night scape, he wrote on Weibo.