Artists impression of QKDSat

In today's complex digital landscape, ensuring secure communications and data protection has become increasingly challenging. Recognising the need to safeguard sensitive information, ESA has partnered with Honeywell UK, a global technology leader in aerospace and digital solutions, to develop quantum satellite technology that could revolutionise data protection for citizens, businesses and governments across Europe and beyond.

As part of ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) Partnership Project programme, the project with Honeywell, called QKDSat, represents a novel approach to securing our most confidential information from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. ESA's Partnership Projects align technological ambition with commercial strategy, enabling European and Canadian organisations to push the boundaries of satellite communications and enhance their global competitiveness.

QKDSat is leveraging quantum key distribution (QKD), where photons are used to generate truly random encryption keys only known between shared parties. If someone attempts to intercept the data, the system detects the interference and shuts down the distribution of the keys before they are compromised – making it impossible for hackers to obtain the encryption keys. As terrestrial (ground) QKD networks are limited over long distances, the use of satellites expands the reach and enhances security further. Information is shared directly from a ground terminal to the satellite and back to the target terminal, bridging any distance.

This technology has wide-ranging applications, especially benefiting organisations that handle vast amounts of confidential data, such as government agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications providers and critical infrastructure operators.

The QKDSat Project, led by Honeywell with support from the UK Space Agency, brings together companies from ESA Member States, including Belgium, Austria, Canada, Czechia, and the UK.