World’s Longest Quantum Satellite Link Connects South Africa and China

The 12,900 km ultra-secure link, achieved using the Jinan-1 satellite, marks the first quantum communication link in the Southern Hemisphere.

Scientists from Stellenbosch University and the University of Science and Technology of China successfully established a 12,900 km quantum satellite link, the longest ever achieved.
This milestone represents the first quantum satellite communication link in the Southern Hemisphere, enabled by the Chinese Jinan-1 satellite.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) was used to generate secure encryption keys in real-time, ensuring unbreakable data transmission between South Africa and China.
Stellenbosch's favorable environmental conditions allowed a record key generation rate of 1.07 million secure bits during a single satellite pass.
The Jinan-1 satellite and its lightweight, portable ground stations demonstrate significant advancements over earlier systems, paving the way for future global quantum communication networks.