SES Techcom — vendor dossier

SES Techcom

QKDNetworking
S

Wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A. delivering end-to-end satellite-enabled solutions to governmental, institutional and supranational customers. Prime contractor and operator for EAGLE-1, a sovereign LEO quantum-key-distribution satellite (announced as Europe's first; ~€130M, ESA + European Commission + a consortium of 20+ European companies, Vega-C launch from Kourou in late 2026 / early 2027). Also leads the Luxembourg national quantum-communication infrastructure (LuxQCI) consortium under the EuroQCI programme.

HQ
Betzdorf, Luxembourg
Founded
1989
Status
acquired
Parent
ses
Last verified
Fri May 15 2026 08:00:00 GMT+0800 (Singapore Standard Time)

Timeline

20212022202320242025202620272028202920302031today
2021-07
SES-led consortium awarded LuxQCI design — Luxembourg national segment of EuroQCI (InCert, itrust, LuxConnect, LuxTrust, Uni Luxembourg / SnT under SES Techcom lead)
2022-10
ESA + European Commission + SES Techcom sign the Eagle-1 project agreement at the IAC in Paris; SITAEL contracted for the satellite platform
2023-05
SES + Tesat-Spacecom partnership announced — Tesat to develop and integrate the EAGLE-1 QKD payload (SCOT80 + QKD module)
2023-09
SES selects Arianespace for Eagle-1 launch on Vega-C from Kourou
2025-05
Eagle-1 system description published (arXiv:2505.20838) — full mission, payload, and ground-segment architecture made public
2026
Eagle-1 satellite delivery, environmental test, ship to Kourou for Vega-C launch (late 2026 / early 2027)
2027
Eagle-1 commissioning and start of three-year in-orbit QKD validation mission with European optical ground stations
2030
Follow-on European QKD constellation building on Eagle-1 results, integrated with EuroQCI national segments and IRIS² secure connectivity
Founded 1989 shipped milestone public roadmap

Current flagship

EAGLE-1 — LEO QKD pathfinder satellite (Tesat SCOT80 payload on SITAEL platform), late-2026 / early-2027 launch

Milestones

  1. 2025-05
    Eagle-1 system description published (arXiv:2505.20838) — full mission, payload, and ground-segment architecture made public
    QKD preprint source ↗
  2. 2023-09
    SES selects Arianespace for Eagle-1 launch on Vega-C from Kourou
    QKD press source ↗
  3. 2023-05
    SES + Tesat-Spacecom partnership announced — Tesat to develop and integrate the EAGLE-1 QKD payload (SCOT80 + QKD module)
    QKD press source ↗
  4. 2022-10
    ESA + European Commission + SES Techcom sign the Eagle-1 project agreement at the IAC in Paris; SITAEL contracted for the satellite platform
    QKD press source ↗
  5. 2021-07
    SES-led consortium awarded LuxQCI design — Luxembourg national segment of EuroQCI (InCert, itrust, LuxConnect, LuxTrust, Uni Luxembourg / SnT under SES Techcom lead)
    Networking press source ↗

Roadmap

  • 2026 Eagle-1 satellite delivery, environmental test, ship to Kourou for Vega-C launch (late 2026 / early 2027) source ↗
  • 2027 Eagle-1 commissioning and start of three-year in-orbit QKD validation mission with European optical ground stations source ↗
  • 2030 Follow-on European QKD constellation building on Eagle-1 results, integrated with EuroQCI national segments and IRIS² secure connectivity source ↗

Capability details

QKD

Protocols
BB84, decoy-state
Rate vs distance
C-band optical downlink from LEO via Tesat SCOT80 terminal; phase-encoded double-pulse qubits to European ground stations (3-year in-orbit validation post-launch)

Networking

Role
orchestrator
Products
EAGLE-1 ground segment — optical ground stations across Europe, key-management infrastructure linking national EuroQCI segments, LuxQCI architecture and operations
3 unverified fields
  • key_personnel.1.name
  • key_personnel.1.since
  • modalities.qkd.rate_distance — detailed key-rate vs slant-range numbers for Eagle-1 are not yet public; description is qualitative pending in-orbit data

People

  • Adel Al-Saleh — CEO, SES (parent) (since 2024-02) ↗
  • — Senior Director, Quantum Communications (Eagle-1 programme lead) ↗

References