"Europe's future depends on trusted, secure communications, and space has a central role to play in delivering them. This important milestone for QKDSat demonstrates how ESA is working with European industry to transform cutting-edge research into operational capabilities that will strengthen the resilience, technological leadership and global competitiveness of our Member States. I congratulate DAS Photonics and the entire consortium on this achievement, which will contribute to future-proofing Europe’s critical infrastructure,” said Laurent Jaffart, Director of ESA's Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity.

“The successful qualification of the Faint Pulse Source is a key milestone for DAS Photonics and for the advancement of European quantum-secure communications,” said Marta Beltrán, Space Director at DAS Photonics. “It demonstrates our ability to transform advanced photonic technologies into robust, space-qualified subsystems. We are proud to contribute to a programme that is laying the foundations for the next generation of secure communications infrastructure.”

The Partnership Project is being developed within the Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme of the ESA Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity (RNC). Additionally, the development of the FPS was supported through an ARTES Industrial Competitiveness co-funded contract between ESA and DAS Photonics.