Session
Session II: Next on the Pad-Enterprise
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) mission launching in late 2026 will be the first demonstration of ground-to-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in Canada. For this system, the receiving platform is a microsatellite in low earth orbit and the photon source is hosted in a ground based Optical Quantum Ground Station (OQGS). Together, they will enable the creation and exchange of cryptographic keys, establishing secure quantum communications at a minimum distance of 500 km. In the first year of operations, experiments will be performed to demonstrate QKD as an uplink via Weak Coherent Pulse (WCP) and Entangled Photon Source (EPS). Onwards from the second year, the mission will open to additional scientific collaborations and experiments for both the space and ground platforms.
The primary payloads of the satellite consist of a telescope and supporting components capable of photon exchange with the desired OQGS. Conversely, on the ground side, this will be supported by soon to be constructed Optical-Quantum Ground Stations located at CSA headquarters in St-Hubert, as well as other partner organizations including the University of Waterloo.
The Mission Operations Center (MOC) hosted at the CSA in St-Hubert will be the primary operations system for this mission. From the operational perspective, the QEYSSat mission has many considerations that must be accounted for. First, photon exchanges between the quantum ground station and the satellite must take place in eclipse to avoid stray light that may affect the quality of the experiment. Therefore, access times, operational products, and critical personnel must be planned around these tightly constrained windows. Another operational challenge is that the pointing and tracking requirements for the satellite platform and the OQGS are considerably stringent to accommodate the successful exchange of photons. This calls on the CSA Flight Dynamics and Spacecraft Engineering teams to generate high fidelity data inputs for predictive tracking systems. Additionally, the satellite operations team is implementing more efficient and automated operational planning protocols, as environmental conditions such as rapid changes in weather will impact the integrity of planned experiments, requiring rapid re-planning.
Developments by the satellite operations team will allow Science End Users to task the payloads in an accessible and efficient manner. The Primary Science Operations Center (SOC) will be located at the University of Waterloo lead by the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). To accommodate the complexities of a regular planning cycle, the CSA satellite operations team has created the SOC Planning Tool for Science End Users. This tool allows science experts with minimal knowledge of satellite operations to effectively task their payloads. This is done by employing easy-to-use interfaces displaying only the relevant information necessary for planning payload activities. The tool contains built in constraint checking functionality, drawing on the latest data from the MOC to provide the Science User immediate feedback as to the validity of their payload tasking request. The ultimate result is a robust way for science users from all levels of expertise to generate science tasking requests.
Document Type
Event
Canadian Space Agency Satellite Operations for the Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) Mission
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
The Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) mission launching in late 2026 will be the first demonstration of ground-to-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) in Canada. For this system, the receiving platform is a microsatellite in low earth orbit and the photon source is hosted in a ground based Optical Quantum Ground Station (OQGS). Together, they will enable the creation and exchange of cryptographic keys, establishing secure quantum communications at a minimum distance of 500 km. In the first year of operations, experiments will be performed to demonstrate QKD as an uplink via Weak Coherent Pulse (WCP) and Entangled Photon Source (EPS). Onwards from the second year, the mission will open to additional scientific collaborations and experiments for both the space and ground platforms.
The primary payloads of the satellite consist of a telescope and supporting components capable of photon exchange with the desired OQGS. Conversely, on the ground side, this will be supported by soon to be constructed Optical-Quantum Ground Stations located at CSA headquarters in St-Hubert, as well as other partner organizations including the University of Waterloo.
The Mission Operations Center (MOC) hosted at the CSA in St-Hubert will be the primary operations system for this mission. From the operational perspective, the QEYSSat mission has many considerations that must be accounted for. First, photon exchanges between the quantum ground station and the satellite must take place in eclipse to avoid stray light that may affect the quality of the experiment. Therefore, access times, operational products, and critical personnel must be planned around these tightly constrained windows. Another operational challenge is that the pointing and tracking requirements for the satellite platform and the OQGS are considerably stringent to accommodate the successful exchange of photons. This calls on the CSA Flight Dynamics and Spacecraft Engineering teams to generate high fidelity data inputs for predictive tracking systems. Additionally, the satellite operations team is implementing more efficient and automated operational planning protocols, as environmental conditions such as rapid changes in weather will impact the integrity of planned experiments, requiring rapid re-planning.
Developments by the satellite operations team will allow Science End Users to task the payloads in an accessible and efficient manner. The Primary Science Operations Center (SOC) will be located at the University of Waterloo lead by the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC). To accommodate the complexities of a regular planning cycle, the CSA satellite operations team has created the SOC Planning Tool for Science End Users. This tool allows science experts with minimal knowledge of satellite operations to effectively task their payloads. This is done by employing easy-to-use interfaces displaying only the relevant information necessary for planning payload activities. The tool contains built in constraint checking functionality, drawing on the latest data from the MOC to provide the Science User immediate feedback as to the validity of their payload tasking request. The ultimate result is a robust way for science users from all levels of expertise to generate science tasking requests.
