Quantum-enabled communications coming to Europe: ESA signs contract with Honeywell for delivery of QKDSat project
The next step towards quantum-enabled sovereign and secure connectivity for Europe was made this week, as Honeywell signed a contract with the European Space Agency initiating the delivery phase of the Quantum Key Distribution Satellite (QKDSat) Partnership Project. The signature took place during the World Space Business Week on 16 September, between the Director of ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications, Laurent Jaffart, and Honeywell Vice President and General Manager for Space, Lisa Napolitano.
The QKDSat project aims to provide secure cryptographic key delivery services – known as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) – to customers on the ground for a range of applications, serving private and government sectors where the security and confidentiality of shared information is of critical importance. It is also a truly international project, with the United Kingdom, Belgium, Austria, Canada, Czechia, and Switzerland involved.
Funded under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) Partnership Projects programme, part of ESA’s Connectivity and Secure Communications, QKDSat is intended to be used in pre-operational demonstrations with a number of partner companies, including Colt Technology Services (Colt) and Nokia.
The signature concludes nearly a year-long bridging phase between ESA, and the Honeywell-led consortium. During this time, the consortium moved from a preliminary concept of the project to a formal design ripe for a delivery contract signature.
This crucial signature has also expanded the portfolio of features of the project adding two more experiments. First, an early quantum key sharing demonstration will be conducted, with a precursor QKDSat payload that’s yet to be formally announced. This will be followed by an early demonstration of a UK sovereign use case demonstrating QKDSat ground segment versatility with a receiver capable to establish quantum links not only with the QKDSat satellites but also with the UK satellite OPS-SAT VOLT, built by Craft Prospect and co-funded by ESA.
The signature follows a recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Redwire Space and Honeywell, where the two companies announced the aim to combine Redwire’s quantum platform technology with Honeywell’s quantum optical payload to create a fully functional payload and platform by mid-2026 for civil and defence customers.
“Innovative solutions to protect the critical infrastructures of our Member States from cyberattacks are needed now more than ever. That’s why I’m delighted to have officially marked a key milestone in our partnership with Honeywell that will initiate the delivery phase of the Quantum Key Distribution Satellite (QKDSat),” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications. “At ESA, we believe that the future of truly secure connectivity lies in quantum. In an increasingly complex, digital world, projects like QKDSat will be the linchpin to ensuring resilient communications, which will – in turn – continue to boost European and Canadian competitiveness, while strengthening autonomy and resilience.”
“Our collaboration with ESA and our global project partners signifies an advancement in safeguarding Europe’s vital infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats,” said Lisa Napolitano, Vice President and General Manager for Space at Honeywell. “Quantum-secured technology can help to usher in a new era of secure communications with a resilient and scalable solution for both civil and defence sectors.”