The European Space Agency (SES) and Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) have announced they will be implementing a prototype of a constellation, which will be able to provide quantum encrypted communications. According to the ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, “..it is the first satellite quantum cryptography system for European cybersecurity”.

This is really interesting to me because this is the first quantum enabled cybersecurity system to be tested in space. If this system of communication and encryption succeeds, its ramifications can have a huge impact on the future of space systems cybersecurity. It is equally important to remember that this “Eagle-1” project is the first of its kind and therefore, may not have industry-regulated cybersecurity standards for space systems. According to the World Economic Forum, industry security standards will need to be updated and implemented accordingly for quantum-safe algorithms. Additionally, I also think it is also important to note that, since this is still in the initial stages, there might be some hindrance for organizations that are taking part in this, to be able to adapt fully to pre-existing cryptography standards.

This project is a major step towards having a secure communications infrastructure in space. However, there will be many challenges that will stand between the inception and the success of this massive enterprise, which we will need to be prepared for.

Link 1: https://spacenews.com/ses-considering-quantum-cryptography-satellite-system/

Link 2: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/cybersecurity-quantum-computing-algorithms/