David Mitlyng for Xairos

Dual Use, Not Equal Use
Recently Russia has been jamming GPS in Ukraine, the Black Sea, Finland, Norway, and Turkey.
While this has grounded commercial flights and degraded networks, it is not creating problems for the military.
GPS is a textbook example of a dual use technology used for both military and civilian applications.
But that doesn’t mean they have equal capabilities.
GPS was originally developed for military use only.
It was only made available for civilian use after the KAL 007 tragedy, but with a built-in degradation.
When that was lifted in 2000, it created 764 new companies and trillions of dollars of economic benefit for one of “the largest venture outcomes in history."
But there are still restrictions on civilian use that throttle commercial progress.
For example, timing from GPS enabled 4G LTE wireless networks, but is not good enough for 5G.
It is time to split off a dedicated commercial solution from dual use.

Last Week's Theme: A Single Point of Failure

• Following up from good set of meetings at Satellite 2022 in Washington DC and Space Symposium in Colorado Springs.

• Check out our:
  • Spaced Ventures presentation
  • Apogeo Spatial article “Global Timing with Quantum Technologies in Space”
  • Startups Stars podcast interview on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube
  • Angels & Entrepreneurs feature: “Using quantum physics, it’s [Xairos] addressing a problem that impacts some seriously big markets" with "the potential to revolutionize society.”
• Working on new IP and improvements to our quantum clock synchronization hardware and software.
• Preparing to speak at the Colorado Photonics Industry Association Expo and Gala in Broomfield, Colorado on a talk titled "Quantum Communications."

• As part of the next moon race, the European Space Agency (ESA) kicked off their Moonlight Initiative to “identify the best way to create a lasting link with the Moon” and look at “feasible system concepts for creating the lunar network” using optical communications. Meanwhile China is moving forward with three more lunar exploration missions before 2030.
• A new “Quantum Technologies” report found that a nearly a quarter of surveyed US organizations are working on quantum technologies, though, like in a lot of areas quantum, China is the leader with 43% of their companies active with quantum technologies.
• China is also the leader in quantum research, having invested $13B since 2015 (the United States is in distant second with $2.1B of investment) and in quantum networks, where China has rolled out a network extending across the country.
• The European Patent Office (EPO)’s recent Quantum Technologies and Space report “finds that patent applications filed in space-related quantum technologies have increased some 400% over the last 5 years” led by China and the United States.
• Meanwhile Samsung is adding quantum random number generation (QRNGs) to enhance the security of their new flagship cell phones.
• In the wake of support from private space companies in Ukraine, the U.S. Space Command has released a commercial integration strategy to make it easier to work with commercial space companies. According to SPACECOM Commander Gen. James Dickinson the goal is to “make it easier, more efficient, more feasible for a commercial company to enter into an agreement.”
• The extent of the Australia - UK - US partnership known as AUKUS was outlined in a White House Fact Sheet, and includes quantum collaborations to “accelerate investments to deliver generation-after-next quantum capabilities. It will have an initial focus on quantum technologies for positioning, navigation, and timing.” 
• Did you ever want to play with quantum optics? Then check out the Quantum Game. 

• Colorado Photonics Industry Association Expo and Gala, April 14, Broomfield, CO
• Workshop on Synchronization and Timing Systems, May 9 - 12, Denver, CO
• IQT San Diego, May 10-12, 2022, San Diego
• Photonics for Quantum, June 6 - 9, Rochester, NY
• Quantum.Tech Boston, June 14-15, Boston, MA
• Quantum 2.0 Conference and Exhibition, June 13 - 16, Boston, MA
• Connectivity Business Summit, June 14-15, New York, NY
• Quantum Information Science International Workshop, July 12-14, 2022, New York
• Optics + Photonics, August 21 - 25, San Diego, CA
• ION GNSS+ 2022, September 19 - 23, Denver, CO
• IEEE Quantum Week 2022, September 18 - 23, Broomfield, CO
• Denver Startup Week, September 19-23, Denver, CO
• International Timing and Sync Forum, November 7 - 10, Dusseldorf, UK
• US National PNT Advisory Board, December 9 - 10, Washington DC

Not a surprise for this audience that Russia and China have the capability to knock out GPS satellites.
But a recent NBC report is bringing this news to the general public.
There also now suspicions that Russia has been disrupting commercial satellite and Starlink satellite internet service in Ukraine and Europe.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued an alert over potential threats to satellite networks and a recommendation for better satellite cybersecurity, expressing concern about “evolving attacks by criminals, terrorists, and nation states.”
This also includes the capability to hack an operational on-orbit satellite.
A Telesat GEO satellite was recently hacked as part of an assisted demonstration during a recent hacker convention.
Concerns about satellite security has inspired the US government to host hacking contests and led to additional funding in the recent defense budget.

To learn more, please email us or schedule a meeting here.