The growing danger of cyber attacks and the current geopolitical situation is leading to the disruption of essential goods such as energy and water. Problems that the European Union wants to mitigate through new technologies. The European Commission has announced a partnership with ESA and European space companies to develop a satellite connectivity system, with the aim of increasing the security of communication infrastructures. esa european space agency

An SES-led consortium of 20 European companies, with the European Space Agency (ESA) and European Commission support, will design, develop, launch and operate the EAGLE-1 satellite-based end-to-end system for secure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), enabling in-orbit validation and demonstration of next-generation cyber-security across Europe. esa european space agency

The groundbreaking partnership between ESA and an SES-led consortium, with the European Commission’s support, is advancing Europe to the front of space innovation with satellite-enabled QKD. Together with its European partners, SES will build the first sovereign European end-to-end space-based QKD system, developing and operating a dedicated low earth orbit (LEO) satellite and building a state-of-the-art QKD operations centre in Luxembourg. The project is co-funded by the ESA contribution of Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium and the Czech Republic under ARTES, as well as the European Commission through Horizon Europe.

EAGLE-1 system esa european space agency

Using the EAGLE-1 system, ESA and the European Union Member States will achieve the first step to demonstrate and validate QKD technologies from low earth orbit to the ground. The EAGLE-1 project will provide valuable mission data for the next generation of Quantum Communication Infrastructures (QCIs), contributing for example, to the EU’s plans to deploy sovereign, autonomous cross-border quantum secure communications networks.

The EAGLE-1 satellite is due to launch in 2024 and will then complete three years of in-orbit mission supported by the European Commission. During this operational phase, the satellite will allow European Union governments and institutions, as well as critical business sectors early access to long-distance QKD to path the way towards an EU constellation enabling ultra-secure data transmissions.

To implement the ultra-secure cryptographic key exchange system of EAGLE-1, the consortium will develop the QKD payload, terrestrial optical station, scalable quantum operational networks and key management system to interface with national QCIs.

European security

Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General, said, “European space innovation has gained strong momentum both from a technology perspective and in terms of commercialization. It allows us to develop and implement next-generation, future-proof projects in space across critical domains like secure communication, next-generation networks and cybersecurity. Led by ESA, partially financed by the European Commission and implemented by SES, EAGLE-1 is a major step towards making the secure and scalable European Quantum Communications Infrastructure a reality.”

Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said, “In today’s increasingly interconnected world, keeping information secure is paramount. Robust encryption keys as well as technologies enabling their secure distribution are vital to this endeavor. We are proud to forge this partnership between ESA and a consortium led by SES to create the EAGLE-1 highly secure and autonomous quantum key distribution system. ESA enables the European space industry to succeed by federating industry around large-scale programmes, achieving competitive leaps forward.” esa european space agency

“European security and sovereignty in a future world of quantum computing is critical to the success of Europe and its Member States,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES. “We are proud to leverage our multi-orbit credentials and our innovative platforms and solutions in partnership with ESA, the European Commission and the Luxembourg Government to advance quantum communications and implement the EAGLE-1 system, which is called to be a cornerstone for the development of secure and sovereign European networks of the future.”