On May 9, 2019, the donation ceremony of the “Mozi” quantum science experimental satellite payload and relevant manuscript was held at the NMC. At the ceremony the “Mozi” payload R&D team and Mr. Fan Zeng respectively donated the “Mozi” payload and the manuscript of the paper on related studies; and the NMC Director Wang Chunfa presented the donators with donation certificates. The ceremony was hosted by Shan Wei, Party Secretary and Deputy Director of the NMC, and was attended by Yang Zhenning, Ge Molin, Academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pan Jianwei, lead scientist of the?“quantum experiments at space scale” project and Executive Vice President of University of Science and Technology of China, Fan Zeng, Honorary President of the NMC Painting and Calligraphy Institute, Gong Haimei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Chen Chengjun, Deputy Director of the NMC.
The “Mozi” satellite was launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on August 16, 2016. The quantum experimental equipment as a satellite payload developed by the team led by Academician Pan Jianwei completed a number of experiments in space, which laid a solid foundation for China to continue to lead the world in the development of quantum communication technology and in the test of frontier research with the basics on quantum physics. Later, Pan Jianwei published a related paper in Science, and he gifted Mr. Fan Zeng with the manuscript of the paper. After learning that the NMC was seeking collectables, Mr. Fan Zeng decided to donate the manuscript and related journal to the Museum, and contacted the Pan Jianwei’s team to donate the ground test pieces of the “Mozi” satellite payload to the Museum as well.
At the donation ceremony, Wang Chunfa, on behalf of the NMC, showed deep respect and sincere gratitude to the team led by Pan Jianwei and Mr. Fan Zeng for their noble acts. He said that collection of the prototypes of the “Mozi” quantum entanglement source and the quantum entanglement emitter along with the manuscript of the paper as well as the journal where the paper is carried into the NMC is a remarkable event in the history of science and technology development and in the history of cultural heritage collection of China. The NMC will further expand its collection of scientific and technological objects so as to hold more appeal to scientists.
Academician Yang Zhenning indicated a century ago we aspired to make our country strong and restore confidence of the nation through the development of science and technology and today we are at a historic moment as we witness the collection into the NMC the state-of-the-art machine on quantum entanglement independently developed by the Chinese which is set to exert huge impact upon future communication.
At the ceremony Pan Jianwei shared how he under the influence of Mr. Yang Zhenning shifted the focus of his research from the basic theory of quantum physics to the combination between theory and practice and conducted the research on the application basis and the actual application of quantum information technology. He indicated Mr. Yang Zhening is an exemplary scientist and he has helped to boost our confidence in scientific research.
Mr. Fan Zeng said, “The manuscript Pan Jianwei gifted me is a treasure in my eyes. It should belong to the one worthy of it. The collection of the manuscript into the NMC shall bring its role into better play.”
The collection of the “Mozi” satellite payload and the manuscript as well as related materials into the NMC is very significant to enriching the Museum’s collection on cutting-edge studies. The NMC shall conduct even more deep-going and diversified cooperation and communication with scientists and research institutes to retain and display the fruits of scientific studies and to manifest the toughness and perseverance of the devoted scientists who are always ready to scale new heights, with a view of improving people’s mindset in the new era.