ESA Connectivity and Secure Communications

• Advancing Europe’s quantum secure communications from space

  The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a €50 million contract with aerospace company Thales Alenia Space to begin the preliminary design phase of the Security And cryptoGrAphic (SAGA) mission. This agreement enables SAGA to continue to its preliminary design review, marking a relevant step towards establishing secure, space-based communications using quantum technologies.

• ESA and Honeywell set for quantum data protection from space

  The European Space Agency (ESA) and Honeywell move to the next phase of a project that will provide satellite-based quantum key distribution. The project, called QKDSat, will enable protection of critical infrastructures, such as power plants, water management systems, hospitals and banks from cyberattacks.

• Live demonstration shows reliable satellite-5G connectivity on the move

  Making video calls while travelling – or when faced with an unstable internet connection – just got easier, thanks to a technology that allows devices to seamlessly bond satellite and ground connections. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently partnered with British advanced networking technology company UniVirtua to conduct a live demonstration of the dashAlpha platform, which could be used to uninterruptedly connect vehicles essential to disaster relief as well as self-driving cars.

• Satellite ready to test link for global 5G-broadband

  A small satellite designed to deliver direct 5G-broadband access from space to a compact ground device, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), has made it into orbit after its launch. The planned demonstration link is an early step in exploring space-enabled fast connectivity for inaccessible regions – highlighting future possibilities such as connecting rural schools and providing remote healthcare access.

• Beam-hopping JoeySat marks two years in orbit

  An innovative satellite that offers reliable connectivity wherever and whenever it is needed – in crowded places such as summer festivals as well as following passengers in planes, trains and automobiles – has celebrated its second anniversary in space.