Although quantum technologies are still in the early stages, exciting work is happening in Europe, where quantum tech provides secure communications on the ground. Groups led by the European Commission will extend them into space to develop complementary networks of distant nodes.
[T]eam at Sandia National Laboratories envisions quantum inertial sensors as revolutionary, onboard navigational aids.
Measuring time is a bit more involved when responsible for, say, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS), timing. A number of scientists are posing the idea of using quantum communication techniques to more accurately – and quickly – transfer atomic time between satellites and other timing systems. It is done through bypassing the classical computer conversions of numbers and data – in a simple sense.
