Swiss Firm Launches Quantum-Safe Encryption Test in Orbit

Swiss security firm EnsoLab Tech AG launched its SkyBridge payload into low-Earth orbit on Monday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, marking what the company describes as the first real-world test of post-quantum cryptographic communications hardware in space.

The mission lifted off at 10:20 UTC from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of SpaceX's Transporter-16 rideshare mission. SkyBridge will evaluate next-generation encryption protocols designed to withstand attacks from future quantum computers, testing how those methods perform and adapt on commercial hardware under the harsh conditions of orbit.

What SkyBridge Will Test

The payload will assess post-quantum cryptographic encryption and secure satellite-to-ground communications over an initial operations phase lasting two to three weeks, with broader results expected over time. The mission targets applications for defence, government, satellite operators, and critical infrastructure providers — sectors already preparing for the eventual shift to quantum-resistant security.

"This is one of the most demanding environments a hardware system can face," EnsoLab founder Masood Shaikh Mohammed said of the orbital testing conditions. Prof. Andrea Guerrieri, technical lead within EnsoLab's research core and head of the Adaptive Heterogeneous Systems Lab at HES-SO in Switzerland, said the technology "creates a new way for space systems to communicate safely, adapt to changes, and perform, even in a future where current encryption methods may no longer be secure".

A Growing Race for Quantum-Safe Space Communications

The launch comes amid accelerating global efforts to harden communications infrastructure against quantum threats. In August 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology finalized three post-quantum cryptography standards, and in March 2025 selected an additional key encapsulation mechanism, providing the algorithmic foundation for migration worldwide. Google announced last week a 2029 timeline for completing its own post-quantum cryptography migration.

Other firms have pursued similar orbital tests. SEALSQ Corp launched a satellite with post-quantum cryptographic chips aboard a Falcon 9 in 2025, and U.S.-based Forward Edge-AI has a working post-quantum prototype on orbit with plans for a quantum-secure space router.

The SkyBridge mission is supported by partners including DPhi Space and Momentus, and is connected to research with HES-SO Valais-Wallis School of Engineering in Switzerland. EnsoLab plans to use the results to advance further development and early commercial activity.

New Study Says Earth Can Sustain Only 2.5 Billion People

The Earth can no longer sustain its current human population, according to a study published Monday in Environmental Research Letters by an international team of researchers. The paper concludes that the planet's sustainable carrying capacity is roughly 2.5 billion people — less than a third of today's 8.3 billion — and that decades of fossil fuel dependence have masked the true scale of ecological overshoot.

A Biological Turning Point

Led by Flinders University ecologist Corey Bradshaw, the research team analyzed more than two centuries of global population records using ecological growth models. They found that before the 1950s, population growth accelerated as human numbers rose — more people meant more innovation and energy use, which supported further expansion. That pattern reversed in the early 1960s, when the global growth rate began to fall even as the population continued climbing.

"This shift marked the beginning of what we call 'a negative demographic phase,'" Bradshaw said. "It means that adding more people no longer translates into faster growth." The study projects that if current trends hold, the global population will peak between 11.7 and 12.4 billion by the late 2060s or 2070s.

The gap between that trajectory and a sustainable level of about 2.5 billion has been bridged only through intensive extraction of natural resources, the researchers argue. "Earth cannot keep up with the way in which we are using resources," Bradshaw said. "It cannot support even today's demand without major changes."

Environmental Links and What Comes Next

The study found that total population size explained more variation in rising global temperatures, ecological footprints, and carbon emissions than per-capita consumption alone — underscoring the combined role of both human numbers and consumption patterns. The consequences of overshooting the planet's biocapacity, the researchers warned, include declining biodiversity, reduced food and water security, and widening inequality.

The co-authors include the late Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, as well as researchers from the University of Western Australia, the University of Cambridge, and the University of California. The team stressed the study does not predict sudden collapse but urged governments to pursue rapid shifts in energy, land use, and food systems.

"The window to act is narrowing, but meaningful change is still achievable if nations work together," Bradshaw said.

Powerful X-Class Solar Flare Hits Earth Ahead of Artemis 2 Launch

NASA and NOAA have built a layered monitoring system to protect the crew in real time. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center will provide specialized decision-support for the entire mission, working directly with NASA's Space Radiation Analysis Group at Johnson Space Center in Houston. Meanwhile, NASA's Moon to Mars Space Weather Analysis Office at Goddard Space Flight Center will continuously assess solar eruptions and share findings with the Johnson team.

"Our focus will be real-time space weather analysis, prioritizing solar energetic particles and events that could produce them," said Mary Aronne, operations lead for the Goddard office. "We're looking for the trigger, which would typically be a flare or a coronal mass ejection."

The teams will draw on data from spacecraft positioned across the solar system, including NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars, which can observe sunspots on the far side of the Sun up to two weeks before they rotate into Earth's view.

Orion's Built-In Defenses

Inside the Orion capsule, six radiation sensors measure dose rates across the cabin, while astronauts will wear personal dosimeters. If radiation levels spike, onboard systems trigger audible alarms. At higher thresholds, the crew is trained to reconfigure their cabin, repositioning stowed equipment to add shielding mass between themselves and incoming particles — a procedure that will be tested for the first time on this mission.

The baseline radiation exposure from passing through the Van Allen belts and galactic cosmic rays is expected to be comparable to a one-month stay on the International Space Station, roughly 5 percent of an astronaut's career limit, according to NASA. Any solar storm exposure would add to that total.

A Volatile Sun Adds Urgency

The Sun is in an active phase of Solar Cycle 25, and some researchers have argued NASA should delay the flight. A team led by Dr. Victor Velasco Herrera of the National Autonomous University of Mexico warned that a high-risk window for powerful eruptions could extend through mid-2026. NASA has pressed ahead with an April 1 launch window opening at 6:24 p.m. EDT, with backup opportunities through April 6. NOAA has issued a moderate geomagnetic storm watch for March 31 following the latest flare.