A quantum science space station

Abstract

In the coming years we expect to see a diverse array of quantum instruments being developed and flown in space, including quantum gas experiments, optical clocks, atom interferometry experiments, and quantum information/quantum optics experiments. The International Space Station has proven itself as an exceptional platform for such missions, providing long-term microgravity in a pressurized and temperature controlled environment, with ample power, thermal and data resources. However the station is currently planned to operate only through 2030, well before many proposed quantum sciences missions could be ready for launch, and we undertake here to explore what an ideal follow-on platform might look like. In particular, we believe that a much smaller and less expensive low Earth orbiting (LEO) facility, optimized and dedicated to quantum science, could be an exceptionally powerful platform for exploring the quantum world and harnessing quantum technology. Such a platform would allow multiple quantum instruments to share resources and explore related phenomena in concert.

Exploring the quantum world with a third generation ultra-cold atom facility

“…The exact nature of available platforms along with any constraints on power, volume, etc will, of course, guide the details of the Quantum Explorer design. An ideal platform might support several quantum science payloads on a dedicated 'Quantum Science Space Station' , allowing hardware to be shared among instruments and allowing combined measurements from multiple instruments [43].…”