Louisville, CO, August 31, 2023 – In an era where quantum capability will delineate national security and strength in space exploration, ORION SPACE SOLUTIONS (Orion) has established the Consortium for Space Quantum Innovation (CSQI) in support of ongoing and future vision and needs. The Consortium aims to accelerate collaboration between the U.S. government and its partners, industry partners, and academia to advance leadership in the realm of space quantum information science. This effort is in response to the National Quantum Initiative Act and serves as a pioneering platform emphasizing the relationship between quantum technology advancements in the space domain and national defense imperatives.

CSQI will chart evolutionary trajectories for research, development, and most critically, seamless integration of quantum technologies that are customized for space domain awareness. Recognizing the evolving dynamics of space as a domain, the Consortium encapsulates a proactive blueprint for development of an integrated ecosystem of quantum spacecraft, sensors, and data platforms tailored for evolving customer needs in low earth, geostationary, and cislunar space. Through CSQI, Orion strategically anchors quantum technologies for the research, science, defense, and intelligence ecosystem.

Chad Fish, Orion’s Chief Operating Officer and CSQI's Executive Director, articulates the Consortium's pioneering ethos. "The main goal of Orion’s CSQI is to both strategically and tactically anchor space quantum technologies within the operational epicenter of the nation's defense, intelligence, and civilian priorities. It identifies and addresses the needs for enabling technology, standards, and a workforce to strengthen leadership in quantum information science by the United States and its partners. Our vision is to help foster quantum science and to fortify integrated deterrence, synergizing joint force space integration and refining space operations interoperability.”

“This consortium stands as a paragon of collaborative synthesis and will work with stakeholders in the U.S. government and its partners, academia, and industry to identify and address needs for enabling priorities, technology and standards to support the emerging space quantum domain.” said Rachel Hauser, Orion’s Vice President for Strategic Communications and Deputy Executive Director of CSQI. “Establishment of CSQI is our deep commitment to elevating space domain awareness and operations capabilities into a realm of unparalleled quantum excellence.”

Equally paramount is the consortium’s focus on quantum standardization, aiming to institute stringent quantum benchmarks. This ensures an architecture of interoperability and reliability tailored to the idiosyncrasies of space operations.

Dr. Samih Fadli, Senior Vice President and Chief Quantum Information Scientist at Orion, who also heads up the company Quantum Physics efforts, highlights the strategic imperative behind their pioneering initiatives. “Space is one of humanity's last uncharted territories. Our primary objective is to provide the United States and its partners with the ability to integrate Space Quantum Sensing and Communication capabilities with interconnected spacecrafts and sensors into our NEXUS Electromagnetic Data Mesh Network for Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) [aka the NEXUS Space Network]. As the Chair of the Consortium, my priority is to ensure that we will increase our ability to conduct space quantum science and to bolster national defense, while advancing space quantum technology."