Arqit
Company · London
London-based, Nasdaq-listed developer of quantum-safe symmetric key agreement software for telecoms, government and defence.
Completed Consortium
Next Generation Satellite QKD: Creating a UK Sovereign Capability for Manufacturing Satellite QKD Payloads
An Arqit-led consortium working on UK manufacture of quantum key distribution payloads for satellites.
Project data last updated 11 October 2026
About this project
The project ran from July 2020 to March 2024. Quantum key distribution over fibre is limited to around 150 km without trusted relay points. Satellites can share keys over much longer distances.
The consortium set out to build UK capability to design and make satellite payloads for a commercial quantum key distribution service.
Lead organisation
Partners (8)
Aegiq
Company · Sheffield
BT Group
Company · London
Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics
Research organisation · Glasgow
Heriot-Watt University
University · Edinburgh
Nu Quantum
Company · Cambridge
ORCA Computing
Company · London
Science and Technology Facilities Council
National lab · Swindon
Toshiba Europe
Company · Cambridge
Funders
Innovate UK
Funder · Swindon
UK Research and Innovation
Funder · Swindon
In the news
Quantum Zeitgeist articles naming the lead organisation or partners. They may not be about this project.
Arqit’s quantum-linked revenue dips to $355,000 – $380,000, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Arqit Quantum Inc. announces select preliminary financial results for the second half and full fiscal year 2026, expecting revenue of approximately $355,000 to $380,000 for the second half period ended 30 September 2026. For the full fiscal year ended 30 September 2026, revenue is expected to be $97
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Nu Quantum aims to link quantum computers into one system, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Nu Quantum proposes a new scaling path for quantum computers, mirroring how classical and AI systems connect processors.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Babcock and Arqit secure data transfer over a quantum-safe network, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Babcock & Arqit securely transferred data at DVD 2026, demonstrating resilient communications against future quantum-enabled threats.
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Heriot-Watt Team Simulates Path to Higher Temperature Superconductivity, read on Quantum Zeitgeist
Beyond what current two-dimensional Hubbard models can achieve, new computational techniques suggest a pathway towards simulating high temperature superconductivity. Combining matrix product state plus mean field theory with mixed dimensional systems offers an avenue for exploring pairing energies w
Image © Quantum Zeitgeist
Sources
- Gateway to Research: Next Generation Satellite QKD (gtr.ukri.org)
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