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- Successful launch of SpeQtral-RAL quantum space communications satellite on SpaceX Transporter-15
- Singapore-UK quantum collaboration begins on-orbit commissioning after successful deployment
SINGAPORE and OXFORDSHIRE, England, November 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SpeQtral, Singapore’s leading quantum communications company, in partnership with RAL Space of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), announces the successful launch and deployment of the SpeQtre CubeSat aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-15 mission. The spacecraft, containing SpeQtral’s space-qualified entangled photon pair source and detector modules, was deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit on November 28, 2025marking a significant milestone for Singapore-UK space collaboration and quantum communications technology.
Advanced quantum communications technology
The SpeQtre satellite carries advanced quantum hardware designed by SpeQtral to explore secure space quantum communications. This is a particularly difficult technical challenge: demonstrating the exchange of quantum information from a CubeSat the size of a microwave oven. By reducing this complex technology, the mission aims to reduce costs and improve accessibility of future quantum communications missions. SpeQtre will study various aspects of quantum communications from space, starting with fundamental validation of quantum components and progressing to sophisticated quantum communications protocols.
“This mission represents years of collaborative development between our teams,” said Chune Yang Lum, CEO of SpeQtral. “We are taking a systematic approach that validates each aspect of the technology step by step, with a view to achieving increasingly ambitious quantum communications capabilities.”
The mission builds on SpeQtral’s previous space heritage, including its participation in the successful SpooQy-1 CubeSat mission which demonstrated a source of entangled photon pairs in space. The company has established strategic partnerships with major industry players, including SES, Thales Alenia Space and Hispasat, to advance the commercialization of space quantum communications.
RAL Space experts developed the instrument that will transmit SpeQtre’s quantum signals to Earth, assembled the satellite’s hardware and ensured its readiness for space using their suite of environmental test facilities.
Start of the commissioning phase
Following deployment, the satellite platform will be commissioned over the coming months, involving activation and testing of all subsystems of the spacecraft. SpeQtral and RAL Space will then commission their respective quantum payload and optical system, with this phased approach ensuring thorough validation before moving on to quantum experiments and other out-of-band key delivery mechanisms.
“SpeQtre is the first satellite developed using our Agile Mission Facility, and credit must be given to the teams who worked hard to deliver the payload for launch,” said Andy Vick, Head of Disruptive Technologies at RAL Space and UK Principal Investigator for SpeQtre. “By approaching this mission with speed and creativity, they have already paved the way for more ambitious missions, including future UK demonstrators. But for now, for SpeQtre, the real fun begins as we eagerly await the start of our quantum experiments in space.”
Meeting cybersecurity challenges
Space-based quantum communications address critical emerging needs as advances in quantum computing threaten conventional encryption methods. Unlike terrestrial fiber optic networks which are limited in distance, satellite systems provide quantum-secure communications over vast distances without requiring additional trusted intermediate repeater nodes.
The mission supports broader international efforts to establish quantum-secure communications networks, including the European Space Agency’s INT-UQKD and Q-DESIGN programs, highlighting the global recognition of quantum communications as a critical technology for future cybersecurity.
Singapore-UK Partnership
The SpeQtre collaboration stems from a Singapore-UK bilateral initiative aimed at strengthening technological cooperation between the two countries. It is part of the Space Technology Development Program administered by the Office for Space Technology & Industry (OSTIn), Singapore’s national space office, and the National Quantum Technologies Program administered by UK Research and Innovation. The cooperation draws on Singapore’s quantum expertise at SpeQtral and the UK’s world-class space engineering capabilities at RAL Space.
“The launch of SpeQtre represents a significant milestone in Singapore and the UK’s collaboration on space technologies, demonstrating Singapore’s leadership in space quantum communications. Through the Space Technology Development Program, OSTIn has supported SpeQtral’s developments in quantum key distribution technologies, which are essential to ensuring quantum secure communications in an increasingly interconnected world. This mission reinforces the value of strategic international partnerships to drive innovation and advance critical technologies. said Mr Jonathan Hung, Executive Director of the Singapore Office of Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn).
Chronology of operations and outlook
After the commissioning phase, quantum communications experiments are expected to begin in early 2026. The mission will begin by conducting experiments with optical quantum ground stations at the National University of Singapore’s Quantum Technology Center and RAL Space’s Chilbolton Observatory in Hampshire, UK. Data from these experiments will demonstrate secure communications between the two sites and will inform the development of future commercial quantum communications satellites.
As the capabilities of quantum computing advance, the need for quantum-secure communications becomes increasingly urgent for governments, financial institutions and critical infrastructure operators around the world. The success of this mission will demonstrate the viability of cost-effective small satellite-based approaches to quantum communications, potentially accelerating the deployment of commercial quantum communications constellations while establishing important precedents for international cooperation in quantum technologies and space security systems.
About SpeQtral
SpeQtral is a pioneer in quantum communications, with a vision to build and deploy global quantum networks. SpeQtral develops quantum-secure products and services designed to protect sovereign and enterprise telecommunications networks against classical and future quantum crypto-enabled cyberattacks. Combining terrestrial and space-based solutions, SpeQtral aims to secure global networks against the threats posed by the impending quantum revolution and to drive innovation in quantum communications that will serve as the foundation of the future quantum Internet.
https://speqtralquantum.com/
About the RAL Space
RAL Space is the UK’s national space laboratory, working in partnership with government, industry and academia to advance our understanding of space and our environment – for the benefit of all. Based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and Chilbolton Observatory, our more than 350 experts work throughout the life cycle of space missions. We contribute to ground-breaking projects in Earth observation, space weather, planetary science and astronomy, working with UK and international partners including ESA, NASA and the UK Space Agency. As a member of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the wider UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), RAL Space plays a central role in developing the UK’s space capabilities.
https://www.ralspace.stfc.ac.uk/
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