China’s Micius quantum satellite, the first of its kind in the world, has completed a four-month-long phase of in-orbit testing following its launch last August and is now ready to be used for further scientific research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences officially announced.

The satellite can provide a high-security quantum communication system to areas that cannot be covered by fiber-optic technology, including the islands in the South China Sea, oceanic naval vessels, and Chinese embassies.