Thales Alenia Space And Hispasat To Develop Geostationary Payload Quantum Technology

22nd Jan 2025
Thales Alenia Space And Hispasat To Develop Geostationary Payload Quantum Technology

The Spanish government has approved 104 million euros in funding towards Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat project to develop a geostationary payload that uses quantum key distribution. This project will help to step up satellite communication and ensure better security.

Thales Alenia Space And Hispasat To Employ Quantum Technology In The Distribution Of Encrypted Keys

The collaboration between Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat is known as the QKD-GEO mission. For this mission, the firms will focus on using the behaviour of subatomic particles like photons to help make communications from space more secure.

This is similar to the Eagle-1 mission that kicked off three years ago but faced some delays in its launch last year. By imitating the quantum properties of photons, these encrypted keys alter their state once there is an interference in communication.

This alteration once interference is observed makes the key unusable, hence ensuring that the encrypted keys stay secure. Already this quantum key technology is in use on terrestrial fiber-optic cables but bringing it to geostationary satellites will unlock a new ability.

Unlike terrestrial fibre-optic cables, geostationary satellites do not face range and speed issues. This is because signals transmitted in space do not diminish in intensity as they cover greater distances.

Since there is little attenuation in space, this QKD-GEO communication technology will ensure continuous communication on Earth without “complex signal-tracking systems.” With this technology, just one geostationary orbit satellite will be able to securely convey communication between regions on Earth.

Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat Paving Way For The Future Of Secure Communication

The QKD-GEO mission to be embarked on by Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat will take two years. In 2022 Hispasat started research on this project alongside Thales Alenia Space and other firms to see if this quantum technology can be developed.

Speaking on the QKD-GEO mission, Hispasat CEO Miguel Panduro says that the mission will “represent a paradigm shift in the secure communications of the future.” He also adds that future communications will employ the use of “space and satellites” for “transmission over long distances.”

This mission will not only focus on the development of a geostationary payload with quantum key distribution features. It will also work to develop a ground segment of the geostationary payload.

Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Related Articles

Explore Orbital Today