First operational mission to cislunar space slated for 2024
ROCKVILLE, Md., – Quantum Space (Quantum) today announced their first operational mission to cislunar space will launch in October 2024 and will include partners GEOST, LLC and Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT). Known as QS-1, the mission will be the first step in establishing a superhighway between the Earth and the Moon by deploying commercial capabilities that enable spacecraft to operate in and travel through cislunar space and beyond more effectively and efficiently.
QS-1 will fly in cislunar space primarily around the two Earth-Moon-Lagrange Points 1 and 2 (EM-L1 and EM-L2) to establish commercial operations for the company. Key mission objectives will include producing space situational and space domain awareness data products, hosting customer payloads, advanced cislunar navigation methods, and autonomous station keeping. The mission will leverage commercial ground station networks for space to ground communication. Mission and payload control will be conducted from a Quantum control center.
Rendering of the QS-1 spacecraft in cislunar space. Credit: Quantum Space
“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, 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.”
Quantum today also announced multiple agreements with providers for the QS-1 mission:
GEOST, LLC will develop the purpose-built 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, 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.”
“We appreciate the vision of Quantum Space and the great partnership our two teams have built,” said Josh Hartman, President of GEOST. “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.”
“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.”, said Jeff Schrader, President, Blue Canyon Technologies.
After completion of a combined systems design review and mission concept review for QS-1 this past July, Quantum will now shift focus toward finalizing vehicle design requirements for the first mission. Once vehicle design has been completed, Quantum will announce additional mission partners, including launch services, and commercial ground station providers.
ABOUT QUANTUM SPACE
Quantum Space was founded to advance human’s journey to the stars by architecting the space superhighway. The company envisions transforming space commerce beyond Earth orbit by providing the space infrastructure required to travel through and operate in deep space more safely, reliably, affordably, and routinely. For more information, visit, www.quantumspace.us.
ABOUT GEOST, LLC
GEOST is a rapidly growing designer and integrator of autonomous payload solutions that enable time critical knowledge for operational advantages. The company was founded in 2004 and has served its core National Security customers. GEOST employs more than 140 professionals and is headquartered in Tucson, AZ with additional facilities in Virginia.
Learn more about GEOST by visiting their website, www.geost.com. You can follow the company on Linkedin here.
ABOUT BLUE CANYON TECHNOLOGIES
Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT), a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, is comprised of four business units: CubeSats, Microsats, Components, and Mission Operations. BCT offers a diverse portfolio of innovative, reliable, and affordable spacecraft and components that enable a broad range of missions and technological advancements for the new space economy. The company currently supports numerous unique missions with over 100 cumulative spacecraft orders. Microsatellites are manufactured at the 80,000 sq-ft Lafayette facility and CubeSats and components are manufactured in 40,000 sq-ft of dedicated facilities in Boulder, Colorado.
BCT has supported missions for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and provided the Attitude Control Systems for the first interplanetary CubeSats, which successfully traveled to Mars. The company has been recognized with awards from Inc. Magazine's 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies, the Best in Biz Award and the 2020 Tibbetts Award.
For the latest news on Blue Canyon Technologies and for other company information, please visit www.bluecanyontech.com. You can follow the company on LinkedIn here, Instagram here, or Twitter here.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Brett Griffin
Griffin Communications Group
brett@griffincg.com
830-377-8986