The SpeQtral-1 satellite. Photo: NanoAvionics

SpeQtral has tapped Kongsberg NanoAvionics (NanoAvionics) and Mbryonics to build its SpeQtral-1 satellite. The deal was announced Aug. 16. SpeQtral-1 is aimed at providing communications services that require quantum security, as it says traditional cryptographic techniques are threatened by the emergence of quantum computing. NanoAvionics will be the satellite bus provider and Mbryonics will produce the satellite’s optical terminal. The nanosatellite will be based on NanoAvionics’s M16P bus.

The mission is also slated to be used alongside SpeQtre, expected to launch this year, as the space segment for the ESA INT-UQKD program, which will explore international use cases for operational QKD applications and services. SpeQtral-1 will be SpeQtral’s second QKD satellite, following the SpeQtre technology demonstrator mission, itself built on technologies demonstrated on the 2019 SpooQy-1 CubeSat.

“We are thrilled that NanoAvionics and Mbryonics have taken up the challenge of collaborating on this groundbreaking, state-of-the-art mission. Making a laser comms mission is no easy feat, and integrating QKD takes the challenge to a whole new level! Our partners expertise and capabilities tesselate perfectly with our own and our vision of quantum-safe keys delivered by CubeSats. We look forwards to building the future of global secure connectivity together,” Rob Bedington, CTO of SpeQtral, said in a statement.