David Mitlyng for Xairos

Time for the Quantum Internet
There is lots of hype and confusion around the quantum internet.
At the simplest level it is a network of quantum computers.
But unlike the regular internet, it can do more than just share information between computers.  
“The power of quantum computing is in having a large number of qubits… If you can link those “live” qubits, you’ve linked the internals of your quantum computers, and you’ve effectively created a bigger quantum computer.”
So it won't act like today's internet; instead it will harness the power of interconnected quantum computers.
According to Vint Cerf: “Scaling of quantum computers is facilitated by the distribution of entanglement. In theory, you can make a larger quantum system if you can distribute entanglement to a larger number of distinct quantum machines.”
And just like the original internet, development is underway through public private partnerships.
It will need new tech, standards, and an entanglement distribution network, ideally through satellites.
And it “will need incredible time synchronization.”

Last Week's Theme: "I Hate GPS"

• Preparing for the Quantum Beach conference next week, with a thank you to The Quantum Insider for the invitation.
• Attended the Proposers’ Day for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) project that is intended to “enable more resilient timing capabilities with less reliance on GPS.”
• Working with partners to complete NASA and National Science Foundation proposals.
• Finalizing the accounting review and financial model.
• Board of Advisors to be announced soon.

• The Department of Defense (DoD) CTO announced a list of “critical technology areas” that includes quantum science as one of the top priorities. 
• Speaking of priorities, the European Commission (EC) announced their 2022 Space Policy priorities, including developing “value chains in critical sectors for space such as quantum." The EC Commissioner also announced they will soon unveil a plan for a broadband constellation that will “leverage quantum encryption to secure the network.”
• The strange saga of the mysterious Shijian-21 continues. It was launched last October to supposedly “test and verify space debris mitigation technologies”, but there were concerns that it could observe and disrupt other satellites. On January 22, it disappeared from its regular position in orbit and was then observed to rendezvous with and move a dead BeiDou satellite.
• According to Forbes, “Quantum Tech 2022: A Stampede Of Unicorns Is Headed For Your Industry”, “Technologies based on the fundamental properties of quantum mechanics will revolutionize industries, changing business models forever.”
• New market reports: The Quantum Insider forecasts a Quantum Security Market worth $10B by 2030, and the European Union Agency for the Space Programme predicts a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) market worth 405B Euros by 2031.

So it is official: the ISS is ready for the space trash bin.
The single most expensive object ever built will be dumped into the Pacific Ocean in 2031.
But it has served its purpose well, and the space industry has evolved.
Future astronauts don’t need to apply to NASA; all you need is a ticket from Blue Origin, SpaceX, Virgin Orbit, Axiom Space, among others.
This is the democratization of space.
What was once the domain of international space agencies is now owned by the private sector.
Satellite communications. Rockets. Earth Observation. Space tourism. Lunar exploration.
Next up: GPS.

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