The SpeQtre satellite, a collaboration between the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), RAL Space and Singapore’s SpeQtral, will demonstrate secure quantum communications between UK and Singapore ground stations.
While quantum computing promises breakthroughs in many fields, from medicine to finance, it also threatens to break the encryption that currently protects everything from online banking to national security.
The UK government is supporting quantum communications as a solution by harnessing the unique properties of quantum particles to create cryptographic keys that leave no trace and cannot be intercepted.
The mission aims to demonstrate ultra-safe quantum technology from orbit. This is an important milestone in protecting data from cyber-attacks enabled by next-generation quantum computers.
Making quantum communications 100% secure
SpeQtre is intended to test communications that are secure enough that attempts to intercept them are immediately detected. This is a fundamental law of physics that will make this technology unhackable even by future quantum computers.
This is an important step to protect data from potential cyber-attacks enabled by next-generation quantum computers.
“As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, there has never been a more important time to advance technology that stays one step ahead of disruptive threats,” said Science and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.
“By harnessing the power of quantum communications to keep data safe, this satellite demonstrates the value of British ingenuity in protecting our country from cyber threats, while further building on our reputation as a world leader in quantum technology.”
Reduced cost and accessibility
Establishing quantum communications links from space is a highly complex task, but essential to enabling secure long-range communications around the world.
SpeQtre represents a particularly tougher technical challenge: demonstrating the exchange of quantum information from a microsatellite the size of a microwave oven.
By scaling down this complex technology, the mission aims to make future quantum communications systems more affordable and accessible, and position the UK as a world leader in this emerging field.
another approach
The mission takes a fundamentally different approach from traditional space projects, combining off-the-shelf products with cutting-edge technology through an experimental development process.
This allowed SpeQtre to go from concept to orbit more quickly and at lower cost than comparable missions.
SpeQtre is already helping to shape the UK’s future in quantum space research, informing future efforts such as the UK’s Quantum Networking Mission and SPOQC (Satellite Platform for Optical Quantum Communications), a related project led by the University of York under the EPSRC Quantum Communications Hub.
Next steps for secure quantum communications from space
After a successful launch, the satellite will enter the commissioning phase, where the RAL Space and SpeQtral teams will ensure that the system is working as expected. Quantum communications experiments are then scheduled to begin in early 2026.
SpeQtre aims to demonstrate its technology by exchanging quantum information over long distances between the RAL Space Ground Station at Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire and its counterpart in Singapore, providing a key proof of concept for secure quantum communications from space.
Andy Vick, Head of Disruptive Technology at RAL Space and UK Principal Scientist at SpeQtre, concludes:
“By tackling this mission with speed and creativity, they are already paving the way for more ambitious missions to come, including future UK demonstrators. But for now, the real fun for SpeQtre begins as we look forward to the beginning of quantum experiments in space.”
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