Boeing to launch quantum comms satellite testbed in 2026

Undeterred by the problems of its Starliner crewed space capsule, Boeing has a plan to do a bit of uncrewed science – launching a satellite upon which it will run a demo of quantum entanglement swapping that could help enable secure comms. NASA and Boeing welcomed Starliner back to Earth following the uncrewed spacecraft's …

[Will Godfrey]

What can you say?

I have total confidence in their ability to run a faultless, efficient and economic programme!

/s

[DS999]

Re: What can you say?

Article says they are funding this themselves, so while I'm sure they'll be at the trough eventually at any screwups and cost overruns in this project are on Boeing alone and not the taxpayers.

[Neil Barnes]

Any sufficiently advanced magic

is indistinguishable from technology... spooky action at a distance!

[SnailFerrous]

If it is a quantum satellite, then there has to be a cat on board. Will it be alive, or dead when some one looks? With Boeing, who knows?

[Anonymous Coward]

Will it be alive, or dead when some one looks

It's Boeing, it'll be dead and about to bounce...

[spireite]

Trust?

Right now, I wouldn't trust them to run a bath, or launch a paper plane

[Anonymous Coward]

Quantum Foursome Satellite (Q4S)

Awesome! You just take two couples of (ahem) "particles", (cough) "measure" two of the "particles" together in a separate experimental (ouch) "testbed", and wam-bam-thank-you-mam, you automagically get quantum entanglement swapping, in space, of the other two "particles", with quantum swinging superposition, quantum swapping spit, and quantum collapse of the beast-with-two-backs wavefunction, brilliant!

Moreover, if Boeing can keep connecting entangled couples like this in a network of communicating Quantum Foursome Satellites (Q4Ss), riding with launch partners in space-hardened payloads, it will have achieved something truly unique that can securely rival Airbus' classical mile-high mechanics, that plain fail at reproducing Young's double-slit experimentations!

Let's hope Boeing doesn't screw this one up (or does?)!

[druck]

Re: Quantum Foursome Satellite (Q4S)

Well if China can pretend it works for them, then so can Boeing.

[Pascal Monett]

Baby steps

We are slowly progressing towards the HoloNet.

It doesn't matter that it is Boeing that is involved, it's the science that is important. If Boeing screws up true to form, someone else will pick up the job and continue.

For this, I'm ready to wish Boeing good luck.

[O'Reg Inalsin]

Unprofitable

... but not if DoD is willing to pay any price at all for it. That's a job for Superlobbyist.

[weirdbeardmt]

Phone home

Go home Boeing, you’re drunk.

[Zarno]

And it will somehow go BOING!

And it will all, somehow, no we totally tested everything, the delays were inevitable, we need more money, it's just a minor thruster issue, go BOING!