SpeQtral & Thales Alenia Space
Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and SpeQtral, a pioneer in satellite-based quantum communication technology, announced the signing of a new cooperation agreement. Their strategic relationship to develop and demonstrate quantum communications between Earth and space is extended by this agreement. Key signatories included Christophe Valorge, CTO of Thales Alenia Space, and Dr. Robert Bedington, CTO and co-founder of SpeQtral. The signing was held during the Paris Airshow 2025.
By connecting quantum computing and sensors, quantum information networks have the potential to completely transform information technology by improving its resilience and performance. It is anticipated that these networks would enable secure end-to-end communications that are impervious to quantum computer attacks and establish a new type of internet for quantum devices. Given their ability to establish connections across great distances and create the foundation for a future quantum internet, satellites are recognized as essential elements in these networks.
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The new partnership focusses on coordinating collaborative experiments with Thales Alenia Space’s first quantum ground station and SpeQtral’s quantum satellites, which are presently in development. In order to assess how local conditions impact the quality of quantum signals, the ground station will be outfitted with environmental sensors. One of the first demonstrator satellites devoted to commercial quantum communications is SpeQtral’s satellites. In order to connect terrestrial quantum networks across continents, they will be utilized to verify the transmission of entangled photons between space and Earth.
SpeQtral will run its satellites and supply crucial information, including as pointing settings and time-stamped onboard measurements, for the ground station to coordinate with during the first phase of the partnership. To enable a thorough cross-analysis of quantum link performance, Thales Alenia Space will be in charge of running the ground station and gathering synchronized local measurements.
The main goal for both businesses is to verify experimentally the technical underpinnings of future interoperable quantum networks and investigate ways to improve their functionality. With Thales Alenia Space aiming to launch its QINSAT satellite by the end of the decade, the roles may be reversed in the future. Entangled photon pairs will be sent by this satellite to a number of ground stations, including SpeQtral’s.
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Since 2018, Thales Alenia Space has made a name for itself in the industry by aggressively pursuing an ambitious roadmap in quantum communications. To create a completely integrated strategy that covers both the space and ground segments of quantum communication systems, the company draws on its vast knowledge of satellite telecommunication systems, optical terminals, and more than 25 years of experience with quantum technology from within the Thales Group.
It is exciting to be taking this next step with SpeQtral, which builds on the progress made together since 2022, noted Christophe Valorge, Chief Technical Officer at Thales Alenia Space. He pointed out that this partnership offers “a structured framework to experiment, learn and move forward together by combining the complementary technological expertise,” indicating a “new stage in building a worldwide, resilient, and interoperable quantum communication infrastructure”.
This view was mirrored by Dr. Robert Bedington, cofounder and chief technology officer at SpeQtral, who emphasized the global push to demonstrate successful quantum communication systems. “This represents one of SpeQtral’s long-term objectives and is a significant step towards the realization of global quantum information networks,” he said. The “many fruitful technical exchanges with Thales Alenia Space since 2022” were mentioned by Dr. Bedington, who expressed his enthusiasm for this next stage of their collaboration.
The goal of SpeQtral is to create and implement worldwide quantum networks while creating quantum-secure goods and services to protect enterprise and sovereign telecommunications networks from present and upcoming quantum-based cryptography cyberattacks. SpeQtral wants to protect global networks from the dangers of the quantum revolution and promote innovation that will serve as the fundamental building blocks of the future quantum internet by fusing terrestrial and space-based solutions.
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