•  The QKD-GEO mission is the most advanced civil project in the world in this area. It will produce unhackable ground-orbit keys that not even the most advanced quantum computers will be able to break.

•  Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a disruptive technology that goes beyond current optical communication models to offer a completely new paradigm in the field of information and communication security, based on the quantum properties of photons, a first step towards a future quantum internet

•  Thales Alenia Space in Spain is leading a large industrial consortium of Spanish and other European companies, with Hispasat in charge of the design of the geostationary mission and the definition of the business plan.

Madrid, January 21^st, 2025 — Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and Hispasat, Redeia’s satellite services operator, have announced the start of the development, manufacturing, verification, and validation phase of the QKD-GEO prototype, Spain’s quantum key distribution system from geostationary orbit. With a budget of 103.5 million euros, the QKD-GEO mission is a project initiated by the Spanish Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructures and funded by European funds from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan (PERTE Aeroespacial), for which contracting is managed by Spain’s Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI).