SES, Airbus and Dutch Municipality of Noordwijk to Build Satellite Optical Ground Station for EAGLE-1

SES, Airbus and the Dutch municipality of Noordwijk will build a dedicated optical ground station (OGS) for the EAGLE-1 satellite, using a plot at the NL Space Campus next to ESA’s ESTeC technical center. The partners signed a ground lease agreement in Luxembourg, with Airbus set to construct the facility for SES. The OGS will host a control room and a dome containing an ultra-precise telescope needed to track satellites for laser communications, and it will be designed to correct real-time atmospheric distortions such as turbulence from air movement or temperature changes. It will provide the primary ground connection for the SES-managed EAGLE-1 quantum-secure system, delivering quantum-safe keys via laser technology. If operational, the project aims to support early adoption of quantum-safe cybersecurity by sectors including government and banking. TNO will deliver the station, with additional partners supplying optics, the sensor, the telescope and dome, and the optical digital modem.