The U.S. Space Force (and the Air Force before it) have been flying the Boeing X-37B spaceplane drone since 2010, demonstrating how advanced vehicles like this could maneuver on orbit and testing out a variety of advanced equipment. Now, the Space Force has announced the next (eighth) mission of the craft, launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on August 21. Its objective: to test quantum sensors and lasers in space. Yes, that is a real sentence I get to write in this job.
On the laser side, the Space
Force will specifically be testing how lasers at the infrared level can communicate with satellites. Infrared is more information-dense than traditional radio waves, so could deliver updates or instructions faster. The Space Force says lasers are also more secure, since they are tightbeam rather than broadcast, so an enemy spy satellite would have to physically intercept the beam rather than just listen in from nearby. This test is being done in coordination with the Air Force Research Lab.
Lasers in space not sci-fi enough for you? The really wild stuff is happening over on the quantum side. The X-37B will carry "the highest performing quantum inertial sensor ever tested in space." This incredible device can locate and navigate the spaceplane without the need to stay in touch with other satellites. In other words, it can do the job of GPS without actually needing any GPS satellites. In a world where GPS jamming and spoofing is getting ever more prevalent, that's a big leap forward for space operations (and even old-fashioned air operations, including commercial). This test is being done in coordination with the Defense Innovation Unit.
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The Future Of Navigation
The way a quantum inertial sensor works is pretty technical, but the principle comes down to the fact that atoms are both matter (tangible stuff you can hold) and waves (like light). Concentrating on the latter part, the device can get two atom-waves moving along different paths, then recombine them and measure the resulting differences between the two. If the spaceplane with the device onboard)was moving at a steady velocity, the recombination would look a certain way; any deviation would tell the device how it has accelerated, in direction or speed.
In other words, this process, called atom interferometry, can track how the vehicle has actually moved with exacting precision. So long as you know your origin point, you can therefore always know where you are, no GPS satellites required. This is useful if, say, an enemy is trying to jam your navigation.
However, its application actually goes much farther. Way, way farther. Because it's just measuring the movement of the vehicle, this system could work just as well beyond Earth orbit, going out towards cislunar space or even as far out into the unknown as you can travel. With competition for presence in and around the Moon heating up between the U.S. and China, this kind of system could be a critical capability.
The mission will be conducted by the Fifth Space Operations Squadron, whose whole job is handling the X-37B project. 5th SOPS is itself under Space Delta 9, which has a stated mission "to deter and... defeat orbital threats." In other words, it's America's space warfare team. Who are about to test quantum sensors and lasers in space on a remotely operated spaceplane. The future of conflict is starting to look pretty sci-fi indeed.
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