Transmitting information through entangled photons had previously only been possible up to about 100 km (62 mi), but using the Micius satellite launched in August, information has effectively been teleported as far as 1,200 km (746 mi).

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon so bizarre that even Einstein argued against its existence, famously referring to it as "spooky action at a distance." Pairs of particles can be inextricably linked, so that the state of one can be inferred from the other, no matter how far apart they may be. Essentially, this process can be used to instantly "teleport" information between them over theoretically infinite distances, which was Einstein's issue with the idea: it violated the law of general relativity that says nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.