QuantX Labs, an Australian developer of high-precision quantum timing systems, will launch a key component of its TEMPO optical atomic clock into space aboard Exotrail’s spacevan™ on a SpaceX mission in late 2025. The payload, an optical frequency comb, serves as the enabling subsystem for space-based optical clocks and has completed space-readiness validation, including thermal, vacuum, vibration, and radiation testing. The mission is supported by a $3.7 million grant from the Australian Space Agency under the Moon to Mars initiative.
The optical comb will provide a high-precision frequency reference for advanced timing and positioning systems in low-Earth orbit (LEO). This in-space demonstration represents a key technology milestone in the KAIROS mission, QuantX’s broader effort to establish sovereign quantum-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) infrastructure. Final integration and testing will be conducted at Exotrail’s facilities in France before shipment to the U.S. launch site.
This will be the first deployment of an optical frequency comb in orbit, forming the foundational step toward full orbital deployment of the TEMPO clock product. Data from this one-year mission will inform the integration of the complete TEMPO system for future space-based applications. As TEMPO moves toward commercialization, this milestone reflects QuantX Labs’ efforts to mature its product line for operational use beyond GNSS-dependent networks.
Read the full announcement from QuantX Labs here, and learn more about the TEMPO optical atomic clock here.
April 15, 2025
