Craft Prospect completes ESA-funded DiQSC feasibility study on distributed quantum sensing

Craft Prospect is proud to announce the successful completion of DiQSC (Distributed quantum sensing concept enabled by satellite communication), a 10-month feasibility study funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) under its Scylight Programme.

DiQSC is part of a wider set of Quantum Information Networks activities within ESA’s Optical and Quantum Communications programme, exploring how emerging quantum technologies can enable new capabilities for future space missions.

Exploring satellite-enabled distributed quantum sensing

The goal of DiQSC was to deliver a holistic view of how entanglement distribution in space-based networks could enable quantum-enhanced sensing, including potential mission use cases and a development roadmap toward future demonstrator missions.

As part of this activity, Craft Prospect and its partners investigated how satellite communications could support distributed quantum sensing systems, assessing feasibility on realistic timescales (approximately 5–10 years) and quantifying the expected performance benefits compared to classical approaches.

Consortium and collaboration

Craft Prospect led a UK consortium including NPL, Lumino Technologies, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Sheffield. The project brought together expertise across industry, academia, and national research laboratories to evaluate key challenges and identify the most promising concepts for near-term development.

During the study, the team also took part in a joint workshop at ESA’s ESTEC facility in Noordwijk, supporting collaboration and knowledge exchange across the different Quantum Information Networks activities.

Quantum Information Networks joint workshop held at ESTEC in September. Members from each project on the programme attended and presented.

Key outcomes and deliverables

As a feasibility study, DiQSC focused on mission concept definition and analysis, delivering:

• Defined reference scenarios, including use cases, a state-of-the-art survey of quantum sensing technologies, and performance indicators for benchmarking

• A set of technical requirements and a concept of operations

• A baseline satellite-enabled distributed quantum sensing demonstrator mission concept, including preliminary feasibility analysis against key performance parameters

• Theoretical analysis and simulations to quantify expected performance and benefits compared with classical methods

• A detailed development plan, including technology readiness assessment, recommendations for future development, and an initial industrialisation outlook

  
  

For the downselected use case, the team explored a concept for large-baseline quantum imaging, with two ground-based interferometers and a satellite used to distribute entanglement between the two ground stations.

General large-baseline interferometry scheme with satellite-mediated links. The satellites distributed entangled photon pairs to two optical ground stations separated by distance L (the baseline).

Looking ahead

DiQSC confirmed that distributed quantum sensing demonstrator missions could be achievable using available technologies, while also highlighting challenges that require further work to de-risk and mature the concept. As part of the study’s roadmap, the consortium identified a path toward future prototyping efforts, including staged laboratory demonstrations to validate key elements before progressing toward in-orbit demonstrations.

Words from the partners

Lauryn Mahood, Craft Prospect Space Systems Engineer and DiQSC Project Manager, said of the endeavour:

“This project has been an exciting opportunity for Craft Prospect to work with ESA to explore Quantum Information Network capabilities beyond QKD. Our feasibility study marks an important first step towards demonstrating the key technologies that will enable future-distributed quantum sensing. We had the opportunity to work in a strong consortium with a broad expertise, which allowed us to deliver a comprehensive assessment of the feasibility and development timelines for satellite‑enabled large‑baseline imaging in future quantum sensing networks.”

Alex Koehler-Sidki, Director of Quantum Technologies at Lumino, said:

"Free-space quantum networks are a key component of the future quantum internet which will enable exciting new applications in distributed quantum sensing. Lumino is pleased to contribute our expertise in modelling and simulating these free-space links and work alongside Craft Prospect in better understanding the feasibility of large baseline quantum imaging."

Dr Jasminder Sidhu, researcher at the University of Strathclyde and Craft Prospect’s Senior Quantum Researcher and Principal Investigator on the project said:

“The case for quantum networking is rapidly strengthening. This project brought together expertise across academia, industry, and national research laboratories to develop a mission design concept for distributed quantum sensing. By combining emerging satellite and terrestrial quantum networks at different stages of maturity, we assessed the feasibility, performance, and key challenges of large baseline quantum imaging. This work demonstrates the broader potential of distributed quantum technologies and builds critical in-house expertise for the future.”