White House aims to unify and accelerate US quantum space infrastructure amid growing competition with China
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House has issued an executive order aiming to unify and accelerate U.S. development of quantum technologies, including space systems that could enable next-generation navigation, sensing, and secure communications. President Donald Trump signed the order on June 22, giving NASA 120 days to submit a five-year plan for “developing and extending civilian quantum sensing and networking for space applications.”
The executive order, titled “Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation,” tasks NASA with charting a comprehensive path for bringing quantum technology from laboratories into orbit. Other federal agencies were also directed to produce five-year plans translating atomic-scale physics into federally backed research and applications.
“This national effort shall pursue development of a quantum computer at a scale intended to initiate the era of quantum-enabled scientific discovery, with the intent to deliver at least one such computer to a Department of Energy facility and, to the extent possible, make it available to the scientific community,” the order states.
The Department of War was given 60 days to identify at least three next-generation quantum sensor projects for fielding by September 30, 2028. Trump also signed a separate executive order on cryptographic protection, directing federal agencies to strengthen cryptographic defenses against future quantum computer threats to sensitive data, critical infrastructure, and the digital economy.
Quantum Sensing: The Nearest-Term Prize
While quantum computers in space remain a longer-term ambition, quantum sensors are poised to deliver capabilities in the near term. Matt Kinsella, CEO of Infleqtion (NYSE: INFQ), a global leader in neutral-atom quantum computing and sensing, described the performance gains as transformative.
“We’re not talking percentage improvements,” Kinsella told SpaceNews. “These are 10x to 1,000x improvement in precision when you swap [existing] sensors to quantum sensors.”
Quantum gravity gradiometers — instruments that measure tiny variations in gravity from orbit — represent the most mature space application. Infleqtion aims to deploy one with NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) before the end of the decade. Such instruments can detect subterranean features including aquifers, mineral deposits, and petroleum reserves, while also improving space situational awareness.
“With quantum sensors in space, you can effectively recreate GPS with turbocharged capabilities, working in tandem with things here on the Earth,” Kinsella said.
Years of Preparation Meet Policy Momentum
The executive order builds on more than a decade of groundwork. Infleqtion has been working with NASA and JPL for approximately 10 years, including providing foundational components for the Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL), a facility launched to the International Space Station in 2018. CAL uses lasers to cool atoms to less than a degree above absolute zero, producing Bose-Einstein Condensates — a fifth state of matter that makes quantum properties observable at a macroscopic scale.
In April 2025, JPL announced the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf) mission, the first planned space-based quantum sensor for gravity measurements. The instrument, supported by NASA’s Earth Science Technology Office, uses two clouds of ultra-cold rubidium atoms as test masses. Cooled to near absolute zero, the particles behave as matter waves, and the instrument measures differences in acceleration between them to detect gravitational anomalies.
No one has flown such an instrument before. “We need to fly it so that we can figure out how well it will operate, and that will allow us to not only advance the quantum gravity gradiometer, but also quantum technology in general,” said Ben Stray, a postdoctoral researcher at JPL.
The QGGPf instrument is compact at roughly 0.3 cubic metres (10.6 cubic feet) and 125 kilograms (275 pounds). By some estimates, a science-grade quantum gravity gradiometer could be up to 10 times more sensitive at measuring gravity than classical sensors.
The Engineering Hurdles
Kinsella characterized the remaining challenges as engineering problems rather than fundamental physics ones. “This isn’t really necessarily physics challenges at this point,” he said. “These are kind of systems engineering challenges.”
Systems must survive launch vibration, operate in the space radiation environment, and maintain performance in orbit without the possibility of repair — a significantly more demanding environment than terrestrial labs. Years of experimentation, including data from the Cold Atom Lab, have “verified that quantum in space is important and it’s real,” according to Kinsella.
The maturation pathway follows a logical progression: quantum sensing (gravity gradiometers) for the earliest in-space use, followed by secure quantum communications and advanced atomic clocks for improved timing and navigation, and eventually quantum computers in space once they become useful on Earth first.
America’s Quantum Space Initiative
Shortly after the executive order was signed, Infleqtion announced the launch of America’s Quantum Space Initiative, a consortium bringing together founding partners including Voyager Technologies, Armada, Monarch Quantum, and the University of Colorado Boulder. The initiative aims to advance quantum demonstrations from proof-of-concept to operational capability in space through a collaborative network called the Quantum Space Hub.
“We are entering a defining moment for both quantum technology and space innovation,” Kinsella said in a statement. “The opportunity ahead is bigger than any one company, institution, or discipline. By bringing together innovators from across the ecosystem, we can help unlock the next frontier at the intersection of quantum and space.”
Dylan Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Voyager Technologies, added: “American leadership in space depends on turning breakthrough technologies into enduring capabilities. Quantum technologies represent an exciting frontier, and we look forward to helping advance the infrastructure, partnerships, and innovations that will support the next generation of space missions.”
Strategic Context
The executive order arrives amid intensifying international competition. China has been investing heavily in quantum communications, including Earth-space encrypted links that could provide unbreakable communications. The loss of GPS or communications in a conflict scenario creates major vulnerabilities, and quantum sensors can recreate GPS with enhanced capability, making the technology a strategic imperative for national security.
The U.S. government has also signaled financial commitment at scale. In May 2026, the Trump administration announced plans to invest $2 billion in equity stakes across nine quantum-computing companies, including a new IBM venture, in a major push to secure American leadership in the sector.
Trump said at the White House signing that the orders would boost the U.S. “as the world leader in this very important emerging field. We’re already the leader by a lot, and we’re going to be now the leader by a lot more.”
Looking Ahead
NASA’s five-year plan, due in October 2026, will outline the specific steps, funding requirements, and milestones for bringing quantum sensing and networking to civilian space applications. The plan will need to address technology maturation, flight demonstrations, ground infrastructure, and workforce development.
With the physics validated, engineering pathways identified, and industry consortiums forming, the U.S. appears to be shifting from a phase of quantum exploration toward one of deliberate, policy-driven deployment. For the space sector, the question is shifting from whether quantum works in space to how quickly it can be made operational.