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Feature
Payload Volume
Mass Budget
Power Budget
Instrument Performance


Reasons to pursue:

Current space communication systems are fiber-based and only offer short-range communications. While there are optical/laser communication alternatives they are constrained by limited sightlines. Also, with the rise of critical and valuable data transmissions, there is a need for secure, and safe communication systems which will be enabled by QKD (quantum key distribution) in these quantum communication networks. 

Cubesats offer the possibility of validating such a technology with quicker, more efficient turnaround times


Resources:

  1. CubeSat quantum communications mission
  2. https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2017.107
  3. https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.12749
  4. https://www.nature.com/articles/nphys629