SES Selects Arianespace to Launch EAGLE-1 Satellite for Europe’s Quantum Cryptography
The EAGLE-1 satellite, which will support the end-to-end secure Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system for Europe, will be launched for SES by Arianespace on a Vega C rocket from French Guiana as early as Q4 2024. The satellite will be placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The EAGLE-1 project comprising satellite and ground infrastructure, is developed by SES and its consortium of 20 European partners, with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission support.
Under the recently-signed agreement with ESA, SES and its partners will design, develop, launch and operate a satellite-based end-to-end QKD system for the purpose of testing and validating space-based secure transmission of cryptographic keys. The first European sovereign space-based QKD system will include the dedicated low earth orbit (LEO) EAGLE-1 satellite and state-of-the-art QKD operations centre in Luxembourg. In the scope of EuroQCI, the EAGLE-1 satellite will enable early access, validation, and integration of space-based QKD for EU Member States.
“Building the EAGLE-1 end-to-end system for secure data transmission and validating the long-distance Quantum Key Distribution technology is an innovative project that will benefit the EU Member States,” said Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer at SES. “We have been working with Arianespace for decades to deliver our satellites into space and are delighted for them to be onboard to launch the EAGLE-1 satellite into orbit.”
“We are delighted and honored by this renewed mark of confidence from the leading global content connectivity service provider SES,” noted Marino Fragnito, Director of Arianespace’s Vega business unit. “Over the last 38 years, Arianespace has carried out 42 launches for its longstanding partner, and Vega C will now continue this successful track record. It is a great honor for us to support our customer’s ambitions and to be part of this mission that aims at implementing Europe’s satellite-enabled cybersecurity technology.”
Following the launch, the EAGLE-1 satellite will complete three years of in-orbit mission supported by the European Commission. During this operational phase, the satellite will allow European Union governments and institutions, as well as critical business sectors, early access to long-distance QKD that would path the way towards an EU constellation enabling ultra-secure data transmissions.
The EAGLE-1 project is co-funded by the ESA contribution of Germany, Luxembourg, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic under ARTES, as well as the European Commission through Horizon Europe.
Vega C, the new European light launcher successfully passed its inaugural flight on July 13 and now enters its operational phase under the responsibility of Arianespace. With this contract, Vega C backlog includes over 40 satellites contracts.
Vega C development program has been managed by ESA with 12 Member States of the Agency. Avio Spa (Colleferro, Italy) is the industrial prime of the Vega launch system. Vega C has been upgraded with more powerful first and second stage Solid Rocket Motors and with a larger fairing, which significantly increases payload mass and double allowable volume as compared to Vega. The launcher also better meets the specific needs of small spacecrafts, thanks to its improved SSMS dispenser and to its AVUM+ that allows seven re-ignitions instead of five. Vega C can thus deliver to three different separation orbits for its multiple payloads within the same mission, instead of the two previously possible with Vega.
For more information, visit the EAGLE-1 Newsroom
Follow SES on:
Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow Arianespace on:
Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram
About ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, created in 1975, with the mission to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space delivers benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world. For more information see www.esa.int
The Telecommunications and Integrated Applications Directorate (TIA) supports innovation to boost the competitiveness of European industry in the global space market. This involves a wide range of activities, from space-based technology, systems, products for telecommunications development to the down-to-Earth application of space-based services. It also calls for engagement with a wide range of industrial, academic, and institutional partners. For more information, please visit our website: https://artes.esa.int/
About SES
SES has a bold vision to deliver amazing experiences everywhere on earth by distributing the highest quality video content and providing seamless connectivity around the world. As the leader in global content connectivity solutions, SES operates the world’s only multi-orbit constellation of satellites with the unique combination of global coverage and high performance, including the commercially-proven, low-latency Medium Earth Orbit O3b system. By leveraging a vast and intelligent, cloud-enabled network, SES is able to deliver high-quality connectivity solutions anywhere on land, at sea or in the air, and is a trusted partner to the world’s leading telecommunications companies, mobile network operators, governments, connectivity and cloud service providers, broadcasters, video platform operators and content owners. SES’s video network carries ~8,000 channels and has an unparalleled reach of 366 million households, delivering managed media services for both linear and non-linear content. The company is listed on Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges (Ticker: SESG). Further information is available at: www.ses.com.
About Arianespace
Arianespace uses Space to make life better on Earth by providing launch services for all types of satellites into all orbits. It has orbited over 1,100 satellites since 1980. Arianespace is responsible for operating the new-generation Ariane 6 and Vega C launchers, developed by ESA, with respectively ArianeGroup and Avio as industrial primes. Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, near Paris, and has a technical facility at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Singapore. Arianespace is a subsidiary of ArianeGroup, which holds 74% of its share capital, with the balance held by 15 other shareholders from the Ariane and Vega European launcher industry, and ESA and Cnes as censors.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221108006349/en/
Contact information
For further information:
Suzanne Ong
External Communications, SES
Tel. +352 710 725 500
suzanne.ong@ses.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
CMOs Face a ‘Reputation and Results’ Reckoning, According to NIQ’s 2026 Outlook19.11.2025 13:00:00 EET | Press release
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today released its CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 report, revealing how chief marketing officers (CMOs) are navigating a critical inflection point between brand building and revenue accountability. According to the report, 83% of CMOs remain confident in their brand’s equity, even as they face tightening budgets and heightened scrutiny over ROI. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251118947080/en/ NIQ CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 “Every marketing dollar is now under the microscope,” said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE, NIQ. “With organizations prioritizing cost reductions, CMOs are being challenged not just to spend wisely, but to prove how marketing directly drives awareness, growth, and loyalty. It’s no longer just about efficiency; it’s about proving impact – all with largely flat budgets.” Key Findings f
Data Space Technology Leaders Advance Data Interoperability in Construction and Real Estate at the Gaia-X Summit19.11.2025 12:03:00 EET | Press release
Leaders in data space technology are converging at the Gaia-X Summit, in Porto November 20-21, to address the imperative of interoperability within and across data spaces in the construction and real estate sectors. The main objective is to assess how data spaces can leverage the world’s estimated $393 trillion in real estate assets. Achieving this involves exploring numerous use cases among the entire building lifecycle, from design to demolition, including construction, renovation and facility management operations, which creates a win-win situation for both industry and technology stakeholders. In France, the construction and renovation market alone is estimated at €200 billion annually. Designed to address the sector’s challenges, Digital TER-X is a technology demonstrator serving the construction and real estate use cases. Its relevance has been recognized, notably by being named in November 2025 Gaia-X Lighthouse Project, just one year after its Gaia-X Endorsed Project status, an
Quectel Takes Smart Meters to the Next Generation at Enlit 202519.11.2025 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Quectel Wireless Solutions, an end-to-end global IoT solutions provider, has announced it is attending the Enlit 2025 event in Bilbao, Spain on 18-20 November 2025 and will be at Stand 1.G86. Quectel is attending to showcase how its comprehensive range of modules, antennas and services are poised to assist continued massive uptake of smart meters and assist industry moves from first to second-generation devices. With deployments of smart meters, comprised of electricity, water and gas meters, exceeding 1.06 billion at the end of 2023 and set to continue in all regions, according to IoT Analytics, Quectel is seeing growth across all meter types and expansion of meter-based use cases. Smart electricity meters are being deployed in developing markets for the first time and mature markets are accelerating deployments of second-generation smart meters to help users optimize consumption and manage their own power generation via two-way metering communications. Growth is being experienced acr
Duco introduces agentic workspace; a new collaboration layer for intelligent operations19.11.2025 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Duco, the trusted control layer in an agentic world, today announced the launch of agentic workspace, a new capability within the Duco Platform designed to help operations teams work alongside intelligent agents with transparency, control and confidence. Agentic workspace is a collaboration environment where users can build, maintain, optimise, manage tasks and exceptions. All within a single, auditable workspace. It brings humans and autonomous agents together in a shared operational context, ensuring interoperability between systems while maintaining full oversight and explainability. “Agentic workspace is the next step in our mission to put people in control of automated operations,” said James Maxfield, Chief Product Officer at Duco. “As firms embrace agentic AI, they need tools that allow them to monitor, adjust and collaborate with these systems in real time. This workspace gives them that control, without slowing innovation.” By combining data automation, exception management an
Pacsun Successfully Implements Manhattan Active ® Point of Sale, Unifying Commerce and Cutting Checkout Times19.11.2025 10:00:00 EET | Press release
Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH) today announced that Pacsun, a leading youth fashion retailer, has successfully deployed Manhattan Active® Point of Sale (POS), a cloud-native in-store sales and service solution that empowers associates to merge digital convenience with personalised retailing. Following a five-month project start to pilot phase, Pacsun rolled out Manhattan's POS solution across 300 plus stores in just eight weeks. Mobile checkout capabilities eased long in-store lines, while unified inventory management, powered by RFID integration, supported seamless fulfilment across Instagram, Amazon, TikTok and Pacsun’s own channels. During peak holiday season, Pacsun achieved record breaking revenue and streamlined operations, with 40% of online orders being fulfilled via stores, optimising inventory proximity, labour capacity and shipping costs that reduced logistics expenses by 25%. Stores are now critical drivers of retail differentiation, with industry research showing
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom