OCTOBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK9NEWSROOMCHINA TO INTRODUCE NEW QUANTUM COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES IN 2025The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an additional $15 million in grant financing to reconnect Tajikistan's power grid to the Central Asian Unified Power System (CAPS). This project will facilitate the construction of a 22 km 500 kV transmission line between the Sughd substation in northern Tajikistan and the New Syrdarya substation in Uzbekistan.The project aims to enhance electricity export-import capacity among CAPS countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, while strengthening infrastructure to prevent grid failures. It will also prepare Tajikistan's grid to provide power and frequency regulation services to integrate renewable energy across the region. Additionally, the project is crucial for the Rogun hydropower station's power transmission scheme.Tajikistan reconnected to the Central Asian power system in June 2024, after leaving in 2009. Originally established in the 1960s, the Unified Power System of Central Asia was managed by the Coordination and Dispatch Center in Tashkent but disbanded after the collapse of the USSR before being reformed in 2019 with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan rejoining. China is set to send new quantum satellites into low Earth orbit in the upcoming year as per the scientist in charge of the project. In 2025, two to three quantum communications satellites will be sent into low Earth orbit (LEO) as stated by Pan Jianwei, the scientist responsible for China's 2016 Mozi/QUESS quantum experiments satellite. Pan, who leads the Institute of Quantum Information and Quantum Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), declared that another satellite will be sent into medium Earth orbit by 2027. In 2016, China sent out the innovative Mozi satellite to experiment with quantum physics in space, specifically concentrating on quantum communication and encryption. Created as part of CAS, it showcased quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum entanglement across previously unattainable lengths.In addition to research centers, the nation has also constructed the Beijing-Shanghai Quantum Communication Backbone, a 2,000-kilometer-long fiber-optic network, which was finished in 2017. In 2022, CAS cooperated with other parties to send the compact Jinan-1 satellite into space using a Lijian-1 rocket for testing quantum key distribution (QKD). It also showcased a reduction in size of advanced technologies.The upcoming satellite in higher orbit will enable extended tests, since Low Earth Orbit satellites only pass by for a few minutes. A 600 mm diameter telescope will be transported for photon transmission. ADB FUNNELS CAPITAL TO TAJIKISTAN FOR UNIFYING POWER GRID WITH UZBEKISTAN
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