Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the system definition and preliminary design of the SAGA (Secure And cryptoGrAphic) mission. This project aims to demonstrate Europe’s first end-to-end Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system for governmental services, marking a significant step in securing European digital sovereignty and cybersecurity.
The SAGA mission, developed in close collaboration with the European Commission, forms the space-based element of the broader EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure) initiative. The project is supported by numerous national agencies, including the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), and the French space agency (CNES). Funded under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES), SAGA will pave the way for the operational rollout of secure quantum communications under the EU’s upcoming Union Secure Connectivity program.
The operational system will consist of a Space Segment with a single Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite, an Access Segment with four strategically placed SpaceQCI Access Nodes across Europe, and a Control Segment for integration with the terrestrial EuroQCI infrastructure. Thales Alenia Space leads a European consortium for this pivotal project, with its Italian branch managing the overall system, its French division developing the Access Segment, and its Swiss team responsible for the critical Optical Space Terminal.
SAGA is a cornerstone of Thales Alenia Space’s ambitious quantum communications roadmap, which also includes pioneering projects like QKD-GEO for intercontinental secure links from geostationary orbit and QINSAT for quantum information networks. By advancing satellite-based QKD, the mission will overcome the distance limitations of ground-based fiber optics, enabling a future global quantum internet and cementing Europe’s position as a leader in quantum innovation.
