Boeing is working on a satellite mission to demonstrate quantum entanglement swapping capabilities in space. The company says it is a first-of-its-kind mission that aims to lay the groundwork for a global quantum satellite network. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2026 and will involve two entangled-photon pair sources housed within one space vehicle.
Boeing is collaborating with HRL Laboratories, a joint venture between Boeing and General Motors, for this mission. The satellite is named Q4S, which references quantum physics, the four photons involved in the entanglement swapping protocol, and the space environment. The mission will fly on an Astro Digital Corvus satellite.
Jay Lowell, chief engineer for Boeing’s Disruptive Computing, Networks & Sensors organization, said in a recent media briefing that this mission is a cornerstone of Boeing’s quantum strategy. “This demonstration will inform how quantum networking technology could impact Boeing’s products and services,” Lowell said. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon Albert Einstein famously described as “spooky action at a distance.” It involves quantum teleportation, where information carried by a particle can be transferred without moving the particle itself across space.
“What we are demonstrating is called quantum entanglement swapping,” Lowell explained. “This allows the exchange of quantum information between two parts of a network without those portions having been in contact with each other.”
Lowell noted that Q4S differs from other quantum missions because it will demonstrate a core protocol for a generalized quantum network, beyond just quantum key distribution. Quantum entanglement has thus far only been demonstrated in lab experiments.
Boeing’s first quantum satellite mission
In 2019, the National University of Singapore’s SpooQy-1 mission demonstrated an entangled photon pair source in a cubesat. Boeing’s Q4S mission aims to deploy an advanced quantum entanglement-swapping protocol in a smallsat platform.
Although the mission does not involve direct quantum computing in orbit, Boeing and HRL Laboratories have already demonstrated entanglement swapping in lab tests. A successful demonstration could pave the way for quantum communication networks. Boeing believes these networks could significantly impact sectors like computing, healthcare, finance, and telecommunications by enabling ultra-secure transmissions and novel computing approaches.
“We see this enabling a much more efficient trade toward a global network than it will going through fiber,” Lowell said. He envisages a hybrid network, with fiber handling short-haul, and quantum satellites managing long-haul traffic for quantum information. Potential applications include network security, to verify the location of network nodes, and interferometric measurement imaging for resource monitoring, such as calculating precise water levels and localizing emissions data globally.
This mission is likely the first in a series of demonstrations aimed at creating a future quantum communication network. While Lowell did not specify a timeline, he indicated that both commercial and defense sectors are interested in understanding how to build and utilize such a network. “We are having discussions with both kinds of customers,” he said.
“We are relatively confident that we will have engagements with at least one of those kinds of customers and establish some collaboration to see how to move forward.”
