Why We Invested in Quantum Space
Transforming space commerce beyond earth's orbit
Prime Movers Lab is investing $15 million in Quantum Space to support its efforts to transform space commerce beyond Earth’s orbit. Quantum’s spacecraft will provide key services and infrastructure to the cislunar region — a critical geopolitical and soon-to-be commercial region between the Earth and the moon. I’m thrilled to be joining the board of Quantum as part of this funding round.
The space industry today is dominated by services for Earth and the satellites that closely orbit it. However, this is starting to change as humanity expands its activities to the moon and beyond driven by falling launch costs, a renewed space race between the US and China to establish operations on the moon, and most importantly humanity’s intrinsic urge to explore. We believe Quantum Space will play a critical role in establishing the infrastructure to support our expansion beyond Earth.
A key driver in our investment was our desire to again partner with Quantum Founder and Executive Chairman, Kam Ghaffarian, who we previously backed at Axiom Space. Kam is one of the undisputed leaders of the space economy through his companies SGT (acquired by KBR), Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, and now, Quantum Space. Kam’s experience, vision, and ability to attract the very best people, such as CEO Steve Jurczyk, are why we are thrilled to be partnering with him on this important mission.
The investment allows Quantum to move forward with plans for its inaugural QS-1 mission in late 2024, which will collect space situational awareness data. The spacecraft will spend most of its three-year mission operating in orbit around the moon.
The investment will also accelerate the deployment of QuantumNet, which will be the cornerstone of the company’s cislunar architecture plans. The fleet of vehicles will enable cislunar spacecraft communications, significant onboard compute capabilities for artificial intelligence and machine learning, positioning navigation and timing, and edge computing. QS-1 along with future vehicles QS-2 through QS-5 will make up the points, or “nodes” within QuantumNet in strategic locations to enable space-based data services. By 2032, more than 40 Scout vehicles will make up nodes at strategic locations within cislunar space to create QuantumNet.
In addition, the funding will enable the construction of Quantum’s new state-of-the-art Integration & Test facilities and Mission Operations Center, which will be located in Rockville, Maryland, and aid in building out Quantum’s data platform and software for customers. Quantum will soon announce additional mission partners, including launch services, and commercial ground station providers for the company’s first mission to cislunar space in October 2024.
Quantum Space was founded to advance humanity’s journey to the stars by building the space superhighway. We envision the company transforming space commerce beyond Earth orbit by providing the space infrastructure required to travel through and operate in deep space more safely, reliably, and affordably. We are excited to help Quantum advance humanity’s journey to the stars by laying the groundwork to expand human presence into the solar system and beyond.
Prime Movers Lab invests in breakthrough scientific startups founded by Prime Movers, the inventors who transform billions of lives. We invest in seed-stage companies reinventing energy, transportation, infrastructure, manufacturing, human augmentation and agriculture.
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