Infleqtion Inc. (NYSE:INFQ) is sending enhanced quantum hardware to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Northrop Grumman-24 cargo mission. The company developed the upgraded physics package for the Cold Atom Laboratory in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
According to the company, the improved system is intended to achieve record numbers of atoms in orbit and reach new ultracold temperature benchmarks. The upgrade is designed to enable the stable and simultaneous generation of dual-species quantum degenerate gases using rubidium and potassium atoms.
“Space gives us a uniquely stable environment to push quantum systems beyond what is possible on Earth,” said Dr. Dana Anderson, founder and Chief Science Officer at Infleqtion. “By advancing ultracold atom sensing in orbit, we are not only exploring fundamental physics, but also helping lay the groundwork for quantum technologies that can improve how we navigate, monitor our planet, and protect critical systems in the years ahead.”
The Cold Atom Laboratory has been operating aboard the space station since 2018 and is described by the company as the first continuously operating quantum research facility in space. The microgravity environment allows scientists to study quantum systems under conditions that are difficult to reproduce on Earth.
Infleqtion has supported NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory program since its early development and has been involved in space-based quantum initiatives since 2018. The company was the first quantum technology firm to deploy a quantum physics package in space as NASA JPL’s provider for the CAL physics package.
The partnership also extends to NASA’s Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder mission, where Infleqtion is contributing to what it describes as the first quantum gravity sensor deployed in orbit. The company is continuing to explore ways its neutral-atom technology can be used in future commercial space platforms as the International Space Station gradually transitions toward commercial low-Earth-orbit operations.