LAS VEGAS — Quantum Space, a company founded earlier this year to develop spacecraft platforms in cislunar space, announced plans Oct. 26 for its first smallsat pathfinder mission that will collect space situational awareness data.
The QS-1 spacecraft, scheduled to launch in October 2024, will operate in cislunar space and carry a space situational awareness payload provided by GEOST as well as hosted payloads from other customers. Blue Canyon will provide the bus for the spacecraft, which will have a mass of up to 400 kilograms.
“We intend on demonstrating the ability to operate and navigate in cislunar space,” Ben Reed, chief technology officer at Quantum Space, said in an interview during the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ ASCEND conference. “We are going to be collecting space domain awareness and space situational awareness data.”
