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New Journal of Physics

Ground to satellite secure key exchange using quantum cryptography

John Rarity, P. R. Tapster, P.M. Gorman, Paul Knight

Published Oct 29, 2002• 237 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We examine the possibility of secure key exchange between a ground station and a low earth orbit satellite using the technique of quantum cryptography. The study suggests there are no technical obstacles to building a system that could exchange keys at kilobaud rates between a metre diameter telescope on the ground and a satellite with a 10 cm diameter lightweight telescope.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/4/1/382

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We examine the possibility of secure key exchange between a ground station and a low earth orbit satellite using the technique of quantum cryptography. The study suggests there are no technical obstacles to building a system that could exchange keys at kilobaud rates between a metre diameter telescope on the ground and a satellite with a 10 cm diameter lightweight telescope.
With the rapid advancement of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, ensuring the security of satellite-to-ground communication has become a critical concern. Traditional cryptographic techniques, while effective against classical attacks, face increasing threats from quantum computing. This paper proposes a quantum key secure transmission method tailored for LEO satellite-ground communication scenarios. The method integrates quantum key distribution (QKD) with dynamic channel estimation and orbital mobility prediction to support secure and low-latency key handshakes between satellites and ground stations. A hybrid encryption strategy is introduced, where QKD-generated keys are used to refresh symmetric session keys in real time, significantly enhancing resistance to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method ensures stable key distribution under Doppler-shifted and intermittent link conditions, achieving improved secrecy capacity and resilience against quantum-level adversaries. This work provides a viable and scalable quantum-safe communication solution for future secure satellite networks.
Problem statement: The security of the telecommunications satellite has become a crucial issue.The telecommunications can be set using the classical cryptography.But this so-called classical cryptography provides cryptographic security.This means that security is based on the difficulty of some mathematics problems.On the other hand, quantum cryptography provides security without conditions based on the law of quantum physics.This method, called the theoretic information security is evidenced using the theory of information.Approach: In this study, we study whether quantum cryptography can be applied in the frame of the satellite telecommunications network.To do this in our project, we present theories regarding the following issues: Telecommunications Station and Satellite Communication Networks, Quantum Key Distribution, Open Space and Satellites, Analyses in different Scenarios between the Satellite and Earth station.Results: Quantum communications offers many advantages for secure data transmission, in our implementation study, we presented different scenarios of quantum key exchange between satellites and ground stations for possible approach to subsystem with quantum communication in space, capable of generating and detecting entangled photons as well as faint laser pulses.Conclusion: The use of satellites to distribute quantum photon provides a unique solution for long-distance.Moreover, quantum cryptography is a satisfactory solution to improve the safety problem.So, the quantum transmissions are the future of telecommunications.
Optical quantum communication utilizing satellite platforms has the potential to extend the reach of quantum key distribution (QKD) from terrestrial limits of ∼200 km to global scales. We have developed a thorough numerical simulation using realistic simulated orbits and incorporating the effects of pointing error, diffraction, atmosphere and telescope design, to obtain estimates of the loss and background noise which a satellite-based system would experience. Combining with quantum optics simulations of sources and detection, we determine the length of secure key for QKD, as well as entanglement visibility and achievable distances for fundamental experiments. We analyse the performance of a low Earth orbit satellite for downlink and uplink scenarios of the quantum optical signals. We argue that the advantages of locating the quantum source on the ground justify a greater scientific interest in an uplink as compared to a downlink. An uplink with a ground transmitter of at least 25 cm diameter and a 30 cm receiver telescope on the satellite could be used to successfully perform QKD multiple times per week with either an entangled photon source or with a weak coherent pulse source, as well as perform long-distance Bell tests and quantum teleportation. Our model helps to resolve important design considerations such as operating wavelength, type and specifications of sources and detectors, telescope designs, specific orbits and ground station locations, in view of anticipated overall system performance.
The expressions of the quantum key bit rate are given for free-space quantum key distribution by introducing the quantum channel transmission, the single-photon acquisition probability, the detection factor and the sifting factor. The quantum key bit rate is studied in the numerical simulation for the laser links between a ground station and a satellite in a low earth orbit. The results show that it is feasible to implement quantum key distribution between a ground station and a satellite in a low earth orbit.