German cubesat to test quantum key distribution
Top Stories Tamfitronics The Qube research satellite to test quantum key distribution launched Aug. 16 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare. Credit: Center for Telematics, WurzburgSAN FRANCISCO – Qube, a German cubesat is preparing to test quantum key generation and distribution via optical link.Mission operators in Germany made contact with the 3.53-kilogram Qube approximately two hours after it launched Aug. 16 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare. Now, they are moving quickly through the launch and early operations phase (LEOP) of the mission.“We have a planned LEOP of 3 months, but currently we seem to progress much faster than this conservative estimate for commissioning,” Klaus Schilling, president of the Center for Telematics at the University of Wurzburg, told SpaceNews by email.“This is truly a milestone,” Harald Weinfurter, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich professor of...
