By using quantum states, secret keys are generated that enable secure transmission and sending of data. At the moment, the range of a quantum channel is limited to around 100 kilometers due to transmission losses in fiber optic networks. In the future, this should also be possible worldwide with the help of satellites. This is important for IT security: quantum technology is a key technology of the future with enormous potential for secure communication, among other things.
Technology developed in Germany
With yesterday evening’s successful rocket launch, the first German mini-satellite for quantum communication has now reached space. It is equipped with modern technology for optical message transmission and the high-precision satellite alignment required for this. The fact that these technologies are now being tested in space is a great success for everyone involved, says Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger. “Quantum communication is a central component of our IT security research and represents an important technological building block for securing our communication networks in Germany and Europe.”
From the Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
The joint project responsible for the development of the satellite Quantum key distribution with Cube-Sat (QUBE) is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). To develop the QUBE satellite, the consortium researched new technologies for generating quantum signals, combined these with powerful optical communication systems and integrated both into a microsatellite – a so-called Cube-Sat.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
The satellite was launched on August 16, 2024 with a Falcon 9 rocket. The next step is to put the QUBE satellite into operation from the control center of the Center for Telematics in Würzburg. To do this, the various modules will be tested extensively in stages before the first quantum signals can be received by the ground station of the German Aerospace Center in a few months and evaluated by researchers at the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich and the Friedrich Alexander University in Erlangen.
