Belgium, Oct. 2 -- Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) concerning SAGA (Secure And cryptoGrAphic) mission. The contract covers the system definition and preliminary design of a fully European end-to-end Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system for governmental use.ESA's SAGA Mission, first introduced during the 2019 edition of ESA's Ministerial Council Conference and the refined in 2022, has been developed in close collaboration with the European Commission as the space-based element of the EuroQCI initiative. Progress on the EuroQCI implementation continues, with the European Commission's upcoming Union Secure Connectivity program regulation t...