On June 23, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the world’s first space quantum processor into low Earth orbit as part of the Transporter-14 mission. A compact photon “laboratory” measuring the size of a shoebox was created by a team led by Philip Walther (University of Vienna). The device will operate at an altitude of approximately 550 km and investigate how light-based qubits withstand vacuum, radiation, and sudden temperature changes.
In total, Falcon 9 has delivered 70 payloads, but this mini quantum computer could be a game changer for space data processing. The device was assembled in a clean room at the Responsive Space Cluster Center of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in just 11 working days, equipping it with additional protection against vibrations during launch.
The processor uses photonic architecture: calculations are performed through the interference and diffraction of light beams, making it extremely energy efficient. This approach allows complex Fourier transforms to be performed directly on board the satellite, instantly analyzing data on forest fires, cloud dynamics, or climate change without transmitting raw data arrays to Earth.
Placing a quantum computer in orbit opens up completely new possibilities for astronomy and space missions. Operational cleaning and compression of spectral data from telescopes, searching for weak gravitational wave signals, or optimizing the parameters of space antennas can be carried out directly in space, reducing delays and saving bandwidth on ground channels. This makes it possible to respond more quickly to short-lived phenomena — from gamma-ray bursts to sudden solar coronal mass ejections — and improves measurement accuracy, bringing us closer to solving the fundamental mysteries of the Universe.
If a quantum processor in orbit demonstrates how advanced technologies can expand our analytical capabilities directly in space, then the next step is to apply these capabilities to understand the most ambitious phenomena. Learn more about how astronomers map the “cosmic web” of galaxies, clusters, and dark matter in the article “The world beyond the Milky Way: the large-scale structure of the Universe.”
