In collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric US, the mission will feature the company’s Nebula bus. This will be equipped with a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Optical Terminal payload – for testing secured communications – provided by a Japanese team comprising members of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Mitsubishi Electric, and other Japanese partners.
“We are excited to collaborate with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and Mitsubishi Electric US on the Mitsubishi Electric LEO Demo Mission,” said Peter Krauss, CEO of Terran Orbital.
“This project highlights our commitment to pushing the boundaries of space technology and delivering unmatched solutions for our clients. We look forward to the successful completion of this mission and the exciting opportunities it presents for the future.”
Quantum Key Distribution, an optical technology using the quantum states of photons of light, transmits a secret key between two parties. This can be for encrypting and decrypting data, but it also has the ability to detect interceptions.
The project is set to have an 18-month delivery timeline, with the bus delivery scheduled for 2027. The launch date is tentatively set for 2029. No further details have been released.
Terran Orbital’s headquarters are in Irvine, California, and it is a Lockheed Martin Company.
Image: Terran – Nebula
See also: Terran Orbital to provide satellite buses for SDA’s missile-tracking
