satellite

China’s Micius Satellite Operational Status: What Have You Done Lately?

Launched in 2016, the Micius satellite, part of the Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) project, has surpassed its two-year design life, remaining active in quantum communication experiments as of August 3, 2025. Despite its age, Micius continues to support groundbreaking quantum key distribution (QKD) and entanglement experiments. However, China’s plans for new quantum satellites may shift its role.

August 3, 2025

Open for Business: Heriot-Watt University Unveils New £2.5M Quantum-Enabled Optical Ground Station

Heriot-Watt University has unveiled HOGS, a £2.5 million Optical Ground Station that secures satellite links using quantum key distribution. The facility also monitors space debris and integrates with a live fibre network for rapid prototyping. UK companies can now test next-generation optical communications without hefty infrastructure costs.

May 4, 2025

Arqit to Sell Quantum Satellite in Major Strategy Shift

Arqit intends to sell (in whole or in part as a capacity sharing arrangement) its quantum satellite currently under construction to a customer with such ultra-secure requirements. Following the sale of its satellite currently under construction, Arqit will build no further satellite infrastructure and intends to licence its quantum satellite IP to subsequent customers with similar requirements, which will enable those customers to build their own systems.

December 16, 2022

Quantum Key Distribution Satellite SpeQtral-1 to Blast Into Space, Join 600 Satellite Constellation

Rivada Space Networks (RSN) is partnering with SpeQtral to demonstrate the technical compatibility of adding a QKD encryption layer to enhance the security of communications over low earth orbit satellite constellations.

October 20, 2022

European Consortium to Field Eagle-1 Satellite-Based End-To-End Quantum Key Distribution System, Set In Orbit in 2024

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, enabling in-orbit validation and demonstration of next-generation cyber-security across Europe.

September 22, 2022

U.S. Space Force Onboards QuSecure’s QuProtect to Leverage Post-Quantum Cryptography

The U.S. Government is leveraging QuSecure’s unique post-quantum cryptographic algorithm on its legacy systems at a combined Air Force, Space Force and NORAD location.

July 13, 2022

Orbiting Now! Quantum Communications Experiment, CAPSat, to Test Quantum Communications

A quantum communications experiment was launched into low orbit around Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). A collaborative experiment of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Waterloo, CAPSat (Cool Annealing Payload Satellite) contains single-photon detectors, which can be used as receivers for unhackable quantum communications.

October 25, 2021

Quantum-Safe Satellite Communications Without Quantum Key Distribution Now Commercially Available

Space EA’s new post-quantum encryption network defeats quantum’s destructive effect against security, while enabling satellite architectures and communication networks the ability to harness quantum’s power for DoD and commercial clients in the space sector.

August 17, 2021

Q-CTRL Granted $3.5M Space-Based Quantum Sensor Efforts

Q-CTRL, a startup that applies the principles of control engineering to power quantum technology, has been awarded a $3.5 million grant (USD) from the Australian government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) to expand the development and manufacture of quantum-based remote sensing technologies for space deployment.

July 9, 2021

Virgin Orbit to Launch Quantum Satellites for Quantum Encryption Firm Arqit

VIRGIN ORBIT TO LAUNCH QUANTUM ENCRYPTION SATELLITES FOR ARQIT Virgin Orbit, the California-based responsive launch company, today [May 12, 2021] announced it has been selected

May 13, 2021

satellite

China’s Micius Satellite Operational Status: What Have You Done Lately?

Open for Business: Heriot-Watt University Unveils New £2.5M Quantum-Enabled Optical Ground Station

Arqit to Sell Quantum Satellite in Major Strategy Shift

Quantum Key Distribution Satellite SpeQtral-1 to Blast Into Space, Join 600 Satellite Constellation

European Consortium to Field Eagle-1 Satellite-Based End-To-End Quantum Key Distribution System, Set In Orbit in 2024

U.S. Space Force Onboards QuSecure’s QuProtect to Leverage Post-Quantum Cryptography

Orbiting Now! Quantum Communications Experiment, CAPSat, to Test Quantum Communications

Quantum-Safe Satellite Communications Without Quantum Key Distribution Now Commercially Available

Q-CTRL Granted $3.5M Space-Based Quantum Sensor Efforts

Virgin Orbit to Launch Quantum Satellites for Quantum Encryption Firm Arqit

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糟了! Micius Satellite QKD Vulnerabilities Threaten Claimed Quantum Security

Through the Quantum Computing Lens: The FCC Council on National Security