"SES, ESA and European Commission Partner on Satellite-Based Quantum Cryptography System"
A consortium of 20 European companies led by the federal government's Senior Executive Service (SES) is planning to construct Europe's first sovereign Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system. The move is expected to improve cybersecurity among European nations by facilitating secure cryptographic key transmission. The EAGLE-1 satellite-based QKD system will be developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission. In addition to a dedicated low Earth orbit satellite, an operations center is being built in Luxembourg. The EAGLE-1 satellite will launch in 2024 and remain in orbit for three years. ESA and EU Member States will complete a QKD demonstration and validation from low Earth orbit to the ground via EAGLE-1, which will help next-generation Quantum Communication Infrastructures (QCIs) by utilizing valuable space mission data. The advancement of in-orbit technologies will pave the way for sovereign and autonomous cross-border quantum communications networks. The consortium will work on developing a QKD payload, terrestrial optical station, key management system, and scalable quantum operational networks for EAGLE-1's ultra-secure cryptographic key exchange system. This article continues to discuss the partnership aimed at delivering a satellite quantum cryptography system for European cybersecurity.