China launches the world's first 'hack-proof' quantum satellite to thwart cyber criminals

China has today Tuesday Aug 16,2016 launched the world's first quantum satellite - an innovative system that uses subatomic particles to securely communicate between two points.

The launch will push forward efforts to develop the ability to send communications that can not be penetrated by hackers.

The satellite will allow Chinese researchers to transmit test messages, which, if successful, will be a major step towards a new worldwide network.

The satellite launched into space on a Long March-2D rocket, from the Jiuquan launch base in northwestern China's Gobi desert early on Tuesday morning.

Alexander Ling, principal investigator at the Centre for Quantum Technologies in Singapore, said: 'It moves the challenge for an eavesdropper to a different domain.

'Lots of people around the world think having secure communications at a quantum level is important. 

'The Europeans, the Americans had the lead, but now the Chinese are showing the way forward.'

Quantum communications use subatomic particles to securely communicate between two points.

This satellite, which is named after the Chinese scientist 'Micius', uses crystal that can encode data and encryption keys in quantum particles that beamed back to Earth

Only authorised people on the ground can read the encoded data.

A hacker trying to crack the message changes its form in a way that would alert the sender and cause the message to be altered or deleted.

Researchers around the world have successfully sent quantum messages by land. 

But a true satellite-based network would make it possible to send quickly encrypted messages in an instant around the world and open the door to other possible uses of the technology.