The quantum age is upon us, and South Korea is angling for a seat at the table.
South Korea announced a plan this week to expand the country’s research into quantum communications tech.
The Open Quantum Testbed Advancement and Expansion Project aims to help quantum comms technologies, such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), mature from science projects to commercial applications.
Step-by-step: South Korea asked industry to form consortiums and pitch projects under three categories: commercial, international, and future tech.
While the first two categories focus on terrestrial applications, and strive to advance quantum comms for domestic and international telecommunications, the future hub is explicitly focused on satellite and wireless QKD.
Shooting for the stars: The announcement comes amid a sustained push by South Korea to boost its international competitiveness in next-generation technologies.
In March, KASA announced that it would dramatically increase its New Space Fund, which supports the development of the domestic private space industry—from ₩8.1B ($5.6M) to ₩200B ($138.5M).
Much like its newfound focus on the space economy, South Korea’s push into quantum tech will rely heavily on international partners, with the aim of boosting domestic businesses through overseas cooperation.
“We will actively support strengthening the global competitiveness of domestic companies through international cooperation and technology verification, ensuring that quantum technology establishes itself as a core infrastructure supporting future industrial innovation,” Kim Seong-soo, director-general for South Korea’s Ministry of Science and Information and Communications Technology, said in a statement.
Exobiosphere, Voyager Partner on ISS Mission
Exobiosphere has designed an Orbital High-Throughput Screening Device—an automated mini lab that fits into standard mid-deck lockers, aboard crewed or uncrewed space stations.
Rocket Lab To Acquire Motiv Space Systems
Rocket Lab will acquire space robotics company Motiv Space Systems. The acquisition, announced Thursday evening in conjunction with Rocket Lab’s Q1 earnings, will achieve two goals: Motiv is expected to be rebranded as Rocket Lab Robotics when the acquisition closes, which is scheduled for Q2. Other news: Rocket Lab announced a few other pieces of…
HawkEye 360 Raises $416M in IPO
The VA-based company priced its 16M shares at $26 per share—at the top of the $24-$26 range shared in the company’s S-1 filing on May 1.
Scout Space Closes $18M Series A
Plans for expansion include building a new satellite sensor factory outside DC, and nearly doubling Scout’s headcount in the next 18 months.
Overview Energy has won its first Air Force contract, which will allow the startup to study using the sun to power remote military installations.
The details: Overview Energy, which emerged from stealth in December, is aiming to collect solar power in GEO and deliver it to solar panels on Earth. The system will allow solar panels to continue to produce power at night, without any need for retrofitting existing ground-based infrastructure.
Military applications: Power is required for military operations. As a result, fuel lines can be a strategic vulnerability—and fuel deliveries can become a target for enemies. Overview claims it can avoid those potential threats by ensuring military bases have continuous power with solar power harnessed in space, day or night.
Keep reading