Not all space missions send back images 🌍 Some will help protect the information we send🔒⚛️ The Quantum Faint Pulse Source, a key technology for @esa.int's QKDSat - developed by DAS Photonics - creates the quantum signals needed for Quantum Key Distribution. www.esa.int/Applications...

Quantum laser pulse generator ready to power ESA’s QKDSat

Encrypting messages from space by taking advantage of the laws of quantum physics is the next step towards secure communications. A core technology enabling this capability has now been qualified for ...

esa.int

🇬🇧The UK is ramping up satcom investment via @esa.int , targeting quantum-secure comms, high-bandwidth laser links and future 5G/6G integration⬆️ Projects include satellite-connected crop sensors for farmers and broadband for passengers on Scotland’s West Highland Line🚜🚄 @ukspaceagency.bsky.social

Space-enabled connectivity to tackle key UK challenges

More than a dozen European Space Agency projects will use satellite-enabled technologies to address challenges impacting the everyday lives of UK citizens.

esa.int

Satellites may not sexy, but they are shiny✨... and extremely useful💪 On #WorldPhotographyDay we highlight some of the coolest pictures of the history of European telecommunications satellites🛰️📡 @esa.int @eurospacehistory.bsky.social

Do sat comms still work during today’s solar eclipse?🌒🛰️ Yes! Satellites 'watch' eclipses often, not just from the Moon, but also from Earth. They may switch to batteries and be briefly affected, but only for minutes⌛ So, even during today’s eclipse, sat comms keep working #Eclipse2026

Seat back 💺 Relax 🧘‍♀️ And enjoy the flight ✈️ … unless satellite communications are disrupted 🛰️ www.esa.int/Applications... 🧵👇🏼

#OTD in 2000, the first telecoms 🌐, navigation🧭 and earth observation🌍️ satellite system was used in an emergency to help during the Thynne Mountain forest fire in British Columbia, Canada🍁 @navigation.esa.int @esaearth.esa.int

Connectivity is at the heart of security 🌐 The collaborative efforts of IRIS² will define how Europe remains connected and strong in the future🌍💪

European Space Agency@esa.int · 4w ago

IRIS², the EU's secure connectivity programme, accelerates to implementation. As a key player in IRIS² technical implementation, ESA will ensure that this secure & resilient connectivity system is successfully delivered. All for Europe's strategic autonomy & citizens. www.esa.int/Applications...

#OTD 7 years ago, EDRS-C launched aboard an Ariane 5🚀 Dubbed SpaceDataHighway, the European Data Relay System, used laser tech to relay Earth observation images back to the ground, beaming the data back almost immediately and thereby accelerating emergency response down here🚑️ 🌍️ @transport.esa.int

🎥Movie streaming takes less than a second today thanks to decades of innovation in satellite broadcasting 📺 #OTD in 1984, the European Communications Satellite 2 launched aboard Ariane 3 flight V10, expanding sat comms and international TV across Europe🛰️🌍 @esa.int @eurospacehistory.bsky.social

We can't get enough of these stunning observatory images 🤩⚡️ More to come as @esa.int and the National Observatory of Athens sign a Memorandum of Intent to develop ground optical technologies in Greece, the essential Earth-based links connecting with satellites via laser comms 🇬🇷 Thread for more👇️

Are you ready to shape our programmes' strategy and communicate to various stakeholders?🤔 We have a job opening for a Programme and Strategy Coordinator within the Directorate of Resilience, Navigation and Connectivity, based in ESTEC (Netherlands). Details 👉️ jobs.esa.int/job/Noordwij...

🇱🇺 just upgraded international quantum-secure communications🔐 Developed under an @esa.int Partnership Project, the Optical Ground Station built by HITEC Luxembourg in a consortium led by Starion Luxembourg will help distribute quantum cryptographic keys through future international secure networks ⚛️

#ThisWeek in 2013, Alphasat (now called Inmarsat-4A F4) — then Europe's largest and most sophisticated telecoms satellite — was launched on Ariane 5 VA214 on 25 July from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. www.esa.int/Newsroom/Pre... @esaconnectivity.esa.int @esa.int @cnes.fr @transport.esa.int

Part of the ESA stand for the #Farnborough Air Show in 1980 promoting European communication satellites, with a list of satellites in orbit or under development at the time: OTS-2, ECS-1, Marecs A and L-Sat (Olympus), with live link TV monitors. #FIA2026 @esaconnectivity.esa.int

🤔How do we measure the impact of our programmes? Curious about this question as well? Apply for the Junior Professional in Market Intelligence role and investigate the relevance of our projects in resilience, navigation and connectivity 💪 🧭 📶 Deadline 28 July 2026: jobs.esa.int/job/Harwell-...

🌒 The first Moon landing over 50 years ago proved we could get there. The next step is making it easier to return and stay there. @esa.int's Moonlight is developing the communication and navigation infrastructure to make that possible 📶 🧭 #InternationalMoonDay resilience.esa.int/moonlight

🍁Happy Canada Day to our Cooperating State 🇨🇦 ESA recently signed a contract with Canadian satellite communications company Kepler to help advance Hydron - the 'fibre of the sky'⚡️ All for better connectivity on space thanks to optical communications www.esa.int/Applications...

What if you could impact the future of Direct-to-Device (D2D) communications?📱🚙 ESA is hiring a Mission Manager for our D2D projects 👇️ jobs.esa.int/job/Noordwij...

We wouldn't build cities on Earth without roads, comms and navigation. The same is true for the Moon🌒 ESA's Moonlight programme is creating the infrastructure that future lunar missions will rely on, laying the foundations for a sustainable presence beyond Earth🌍️ connectivity.esa.int/moonlight

🥵 Hot temperatures can lead to more wildfires🔥 How can satellite communications help emergency responders in these situations? www.esa.int/Applications...

#OTD in 1983, ECS‑1 launched aboard Ariane 1, Europe’s first step towards its own space-based communications 📶 From analogue signals to secure networks, the mission set the tone for Europe's present in space. Today, IRIS² builds on that legacy by reinforcing Europe’s autonomy in orbit 👁️ 🔐

Do you want to contribute to the future of mobile connectivity?📱 We are hiring a Procurement Coordinator for Direct-to-Device (D2D) projects at ESA. Interested? 🤔 👉️ jobs.esa.int/job/Noordwij...

Initially planned for one year, MDA Space's JoeySat marks its third year in orbit! 🥳 Built with support from @esa.int, @ukspaceagency.bsky.social and @eutelsat.bsky.social, JoeySat delivers flexible broadband anywhere with a 'hopping' beam, from busy summer festivals to airplanes💃 ✈️

How do you shape the future of satcom in space?🤔 You gather 300+ people from 30+ countries to connect, swap ideas and co-design how optical and quantum comms will work in orbit. Missed this year's ScyLight Conference? Here's the visual recap; maybe you'll join next year👀

🇪🇸We've officially wrapped up #ScyLight2026 in Tenerife, Spain! We are delighted to reveal that... ✨We welcomed 316 participants throughout the event ✨91% of you were from an ESA Member State, with 24% joining us from Spain.

Concluding the ‘Optical Space Segment‘ session, Regis Grasser, PhD (Bertin Group) is next on stage. #ScyLight2026

Miguel Ángel Piqueras Ruipérez (TECHNOBIT) is introducing the FANTASTIC project, supported under ESA's Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) programme. #ScyLight2026

Meanwhile, Dalius Petrulionis (Astrolight) is sharing his company's latest developments in inter-satellite link terminals, demonstrating how optical technologies are expanding connectivity capabilities across space architectures. #ScyLight2026

Julian Woicke (TESAT) will present TESAT's work on secure Optical Communication Terminals (OCTs), which will support multi-orbit connectivity and help to build the foundations of future space-based communication networks. #ScyLight2026

Our final session of #ScyLight2026 is being kicked off by Will Crowcombe (FSO Instruments) on the transition to volume production, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of scaling the manufacturing of optical communication terminals to meet growing market demand. #ScyLight2026