ESA To Adopt Controversial Quantum Key Distribution For Satellite Communications

[Lucian Armasu]

The European Space Agency has signed a contract with satellite communications company to develop a quantum key distribution system for secure satellite communications "guaranteed by the laws of physics."

ESA To Adopt Controversial Quantum Key Distribution For Satellite Communications : Read more

 

[bit_user]

with QKD you need to send the key along with the message through a secure channel.

I'm slightly confused, here. As the name suggests, I thought the idea was only to send the key through the quantum channel. The message would be sent normally, but requires the key in order to be decrypted. I assume the reason for doing it this way is that the quantum channel is lower-bandwidth and/or overuse could cause entanglement to be lost much sooner.

I'm also curious about the side-channel attacks. Is the idea that the radar array would be used to spy on the end-point device? Somewhat akin to peering though the window at a spy, while they're in the act of decoding & reading a secret message?