Quantum Space’s first operational mission to cislunar space will launch in October 2024 with partners GEOST, LLC and Blue Canyon Technologies.
The mission is known as QS-1, and it will be the first step in creating a superhighway between Earth and the moon. The mission will deploy commercial capabilities that enable spacecraft to operate in and travel through cislunar space and beyond more effectively.
“In less than a year we have significantly grown our team to include a diverse group of aerospace industry leaders, scientists, and engineers to achieve our bold mission of transforming space commerce beyond Earth orbit,” said Steve Jurczyk, president and CEO of Quantum Space.
“I’m proud of what we have accomplished to get to this point and look forward to continuing our momentum towards our first operational flight in the fall of 2024.”
QS-1 will fly in cislunar space around the two Earth-Moon-Lagrange Points 1 and 2 to establish commercial operations for the company. The mission objectives include producing space situational and space domain awareness data products, hosting customer payloads, advanced cislunar navigation methods and autonomous station keeping.
The mission will also leverage commercial ground station networks for space-to-ground communication. A Quantum control center will conduct the mission and payload control.
Through multiple agreements for the QS-1 mission, GEOST, LLC will develop the QS-1 space domain awareness sensor. Blue Canyon Technologies will manufacture the spacecraft bus that will carry Quantum and customer payloads to cislunar space
“As we continue to advance toward our QS-1 mission, we’re excited to announce our partnership with GEOST and Blue Canyon Technologies to help bring our first mission to life,” said Sue Hall, vice president of programs at Quantum Space. “Designing the sensor and development of the spacecraft bus are critical elements for our first mission and we couldn’t be more pleased to partner with these two great organizations.”
GEOST President Josh Hartman said they appreciate the vision of Quantum Space and the partnership their two teams have built.
“GEOST is excited to provide our affordably elegant payloads to the partnership, which is blazing a trail in the commercial space market. It is a great time to be a part of this community and this effort,” he said.
Jeff Schrader, president of Blue Canyon Technologies, added, “Our Saturn product, with key enhancements for deep space, will provide Quantum Space with an architecture that has been designed specifically for these types of missions ⏤ a quiet, stable, agile platform to optimize use of the Quantum suite of instruments.”
The combined systems design review and mission concept review for QS-1 was done in July. Quantum is now shifting focus on finalizing vehicle design requirements for the first mission. Once that is done, Quantum will announce additional mission partners, including launch services and commercial ground station providers.