SES contracts with Arianespace for Eagle-1
November 9, 2022
By Chris Forrester
Europe’s upcoming Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) super-secure satellite, the ESA’s Eagle-1, will be launched for SES by Arianespace on a Vega C rocket from French Guiana as early as Q4/2024. The satellite will be placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The EAGLE-1 project comprising satellite and ground infrastructure, is developed by SES and its consortium of 20 European partners, with ESA and European Commission support.
Under the recently-signed agreement with ESA, SES and its partners will design, develop, launch and operate a satellite-based end-to-end QKD system for the purpose of testing and validating space-based secure transmission of cryptographic keys. The first European sovereign space-based QKD system will include the dedicated LEO Eagle-1 satellite and state-of-the-art QKD operations centre in Luxembourg.
“Building the Eagle-1 end-to-end system for secure data transmission and validating the long-distance Quantum Key Distribution technology is an innovative project that will benefit the EU Member States,” said Ruy Pinto, CTO at SES. “We have been working with Arianespace for decades to deliver our satellites into space and are delighted for them to be onboard to launch the Eagle-1 satellite into orbit.”
Following the launch, the Eagle-1 satellite will 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 that would path the way towards an EU constellation enabling ultra-secure data transmissions.
The Eagle-1 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.