Towards Quantum Space Systems
Jacinto de Matos, C; Maria Perdigues Armengol, J
ESA

It is expected that quantum technologies (quantum information processing, quantum communication systems, quantum metrology) will progressively emerge in the next 40 years and radically change the ways in which we communicate, and process information, as well as our most fundamental ideas about the very nature of information, time, matter and motion. These developments will naturally contribute to space based communication and metrology systems and in particular to Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The common denominator of space based quantum systems is identified as being global quantum entanglement networks, and the possible role of Galileo in the emerging process of these systems is presented. An attempt to anticipate the long term evolution of GNSS as a space based quantum system is also suggested.