Latest news with #spaceinfrastructure
Arab News
2 days ago
- Science
- Arab News
China's rapid progress in race to the moon
China is making rapid progress with the building of a new space network called the Queqiao constellation. This system is designed to connect Earth and the moon through reliable communications, navigation and observation tools. The goal is to support future lunar missions by placing satellites and spacecraft in key positions around the moon and in space between the Earth and the moon, including areas known as Lagrange points, where gravity allows objects to stay in place more easily. This infrastructure is essential for China's plans to explore, work and even build settlements on the moon in the coming decades. China last month moved a small spacecraft named Tiandu-1 into an orbit that means it loops around Earth once for every three times the moon circles our planet. This special orbit gives it a predictable position relative to the moon over time, which helps in studying the complex pull of the gravity of both Earth and the moon. Another key satellite, Queqiao-2, was launched last year and it is already helping China prepare for future moon landings. And the satellite DRO-B has entered a different kind of orbit and is now traveling through Lagrange points. These stable zones are where space stations or satellite hubs may one day be located. In the US, the Artemis program is NASA's ambitious plan to return astronauts to the moon, establish a sustainable human presence there and use the lunar missions as a steppingstone for future Mars exploration. But Artemis has faced delays and budget uncertainties. The first uncrewed Artemis 1 mission successfully flew around the moon in 2022, but upcoming crewed missions have been pushed back. It has lately been shaped by political uncertainty and doubts over its focus. The moon objective might have regained importance in the US following the falling-out of Trump and Musk Khaled Abou Zahr The moon objective might have regained importance in the past month following the falling-out of US President Donald Trump and SpaceX's Elon Musk. Musk has been a long-time supporter of going straight to Mars and has publicly stated that moon missions are a waste of resources and time. His closeness to Trump had hence cast doubts on the moon projects. Musk's preferred nominee for NASA chief, Jared Isaacman, had also been seen as shifting national space policy in favor of Mars. It is worth noting that Isaacman had great support from the space business community. However, Trump withdrew his nomination and Musk's subsequent exit from the White House has, according to media reports, given the moon mission backers the opportunity to shift NASA's focus firmly back to lunar exploration. In the race for the moon, the outcome is not yet clear. The White House has proposed a cut to NASA's budget for fiscal year 2026, aiming to slash nearly 25 percent of the agency's funding — from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. This would be the largest single-year budget reduction in NASA's history. The most severe cuts would hit NASA's science programs, which are set to lose 47 percent of their funding, shrinking to just $3.9 billion. Such cuts threaten to cancel about a third of NASA's science projects, including high-profile missions like the Mars Sample Return, the New Horizons mission to the outer solar system and the Juno probe orbiting Jupiter. Long-running Mars orbiters such as Mars Odyssey and MAVEN, as well as NASA's contribution to the European Rosalind Franklin rover, would also face cancellation. Beyond funding, the proposal also calls for cutting NASA's workforce by about 32 percent, reducing staff from 17,391 to 11,853 employees. The proposed budget also targets the cancellation of key Artemis program components. However, the budget request is just a proposal and will require approval from Congress to take effect. Moreover, following Musk's exit, the renewed momentum for the moon also comes as the Senate Commerce Committee unveiled a $10 billion reconciliation bill to fund NASA in response to the proposed budget cuts, with much of that planned for the Artemis program. The new Senate proposal recenters toward lunar goals. China plans to build a permanent lunar base by 2035, focusing on using the moon's ice to support human missions Khaled Abou Zahr It is also worth noting that there is a business angle to this, with many of the industry's actors using it as a way to counter SpaceX's dominance of the launch and space markets and carve out a wider distribution of contracts. In 2024, SpaceX accounted for 95 percent of all US orbital launches. Moreover, once its Starship rocket becomes operational, it will be another leap for the US. This would even allow for an acceleration of space launches. Many wonder why so much focus is on the moon. But it holds importance beyond scientific research. To start with, launching rockets from the moon is generally much cheaper and more efficient in terms of fuel compared to launching from Earth. This is primarily because the moon's gravity is about one-sixth that of Earth's, so rockets need less energy to escape the surface. Moreover, on Earth, the atmospheric drag requires large amounts of fuel to reach orbit. In comparison, the Moon has no atmosphere, eliminating air resistance. Some estimates suggest that launching from the Moon could reduce fuel requirements by up to 90 percent compared to Earth launches for the same payload. Another advantage is the moon's unique environment. It offers valuable resources, such as water in the form of ice, which can be used for life support and fuel production, potentially enabling sustainable space missions. Other more adventurous objectives have been stated, such as mining rare materials and developing new industries like lunar tourism and manufacturing. Water on the moon is mostly found as ice in permanently shadowed regions near the poles, especially within craters that never receive sunlight. This is why China will focus on the moon's south pole. It plans to build a permanent lunar base there by 2035, focusing on using the moon's ice to support human missions and fuel production. Upcoming Chang'e missions will seek resources and test technologies for habitat construction. China has a focused and state-driven approach to establishing a permanent lunar presence. It seems much clearer than the US space program, especially as public debates roar in America. Yet, despite its budget challenges and political debates, the US is unleashing a vibrant private space sector, which is showing rapid innovation. Despite the technical difficulties and setbacks faced by both nations, the race for the moon is now clearly on. The first to arrive will likely benefit just as much as when the New World was discovered.
Globe and Mail
13-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
SEALSQ Quantum and Space Day Concludes with Resounding Success
Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, France, May 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, France – May 13, 2025 -- SEALSQ Corp (NASDAQ: LAES) ("SEALSQ" or "Company"), a company that focuses on developing and selling Semiconductors, PKI, and Post-Quantum technology hardware and software products, today announced the successful conclusion of its French Quantum and Space Day, held May 12–13, 2025, at Hotel Le Fregate, near Marseille. The two-day event brought together over 200 global experts, industry leaders, and government representatives for an unprecedented exchange on quantum technologies, post-quantum cybersecurity, and space infrastructure resilience. Following the momentum of earlier editions in Davos and New York, this milestone event expanded the conversation to address the critical role of post-quantum security for space systems, highlighting SEALSQ's leadership in securing the future digital economy against quantum-enabled cyber threats. A Unique Gathering of Visionaries and Practitioners The event opened with an exclusive Strategic Partner Summit on May 12, featuring keynote contributions from Dr. Dava Newman, Director of the MIT Media Lab, and a dynamic fireside chat led by SEALSQ's CEO Carlos Creus Moreira, joined by distinguished experts including Dr. Hossein Rahnama, David Fergusson, and other industry leaders. Participants explored the convergence of quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and secure space communications. On May 13, the Public Quantum and Space Conference showcased cutting-edge advancements in quantum-resilient semiconductors, cryptography, and IoT security, with keynote sessions by Laurent Guiraud (ColibriTD) and Jean Michel Picod (Google). Roundtable Discussions Brought Critical Insights Roundtable 1: The Quantum Threat & How to Prepare: Featuring David Nosibor (CEO, Red Alert Labs), Bernard Vian (GM, SEALSQ), and Vasco Gomes (CTO Security, EVIDEN), this roundtable explored the technical, regulatory, and operational challenges organizations face in preparing for the quantum era. Speakers highlighted practical approaches to migrate current systems to post-quantum algorithms, manage legacy risk, and accelerate industry-wide readiness before quantum computing becomes a practical threat. Roundtable 2: Space, IoT & Post-Quantum Security: Protecting Critical Data from Orbit With David Levinger, Simon Reding, Edward Burger (Swiss Armed Forces), and Carlos Moreno (WISeKey/WISeSat), moderated by Carlos Creus Moreira, this session addressed the specific vulnerabilities of satellite constellations, space communications, and critical infrastructure that depend on secure data transmission from orbit. The panel provided insights on integrating post-quantum cryptography into space-based systems and the collaborative role defense, industry, and academia must play to build resilient space security frameworks. Technology Showcase and Live Demonstrations SEALSQ's engineering teams captivated participants with a live demonstration of its Quantum-Resistant IoT Certificate Generation Platform, showcasing how organizations can already protect their devices and networks against future quantum attacks using SEALSQ's market-ready solutions. Carlos Creus Moreira, CEO of SEALSQ, stated: 'The success of this event demonstrates the growing global awareness of quantum risk and the need for proactive solutions. SEALSQ is proud to be at the forefront, building the trusted technologies that will secure critical data and communications, from Earth to orbit, for decades to come.' Driving Momentum Toward Post-Quantum Readiness The SEALSQ Quantum and Space Day concluded with new partnerships, increased cross-industry collaboration, and commitments from attendees to advance quantum-resilient security strategies. SEALSQ reaffirmed its commitment to supporting governments, industries, and research communities in navigating the quantum transition with practical, scalable, and trusted solutions. For more information about SEALSQ's quantum and space security initiatives, visit About SEALSQ: SEALSQ is a leading innovator in Post-Quantum Technology hardware and software solutions. Our technology seamlessly integrates Semiconductors, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure), and Provisioning Services, with a strategic emphasis on developing state-of-the-art Quantum Resistant Cryptography and Semiconductors designed to address the urgent security challenges posed by quantum computing. As quantum computers advance, traditional cryptographic methods like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) are increasingly vulnerable. SEALSQ is pioneering the development of Post-Quantum Semiconductors that provide robust, future-proof protection for sensitive data across a wide range of applications, including Multi-Factor Authentication tokens, Smart Energy, Medical and Healthcare Systems, Defense, IT Network Infrastructure, Automotive, and Industrial Automation and Control Systems. By embedding Post-Quantum Cryptography into our semiconductor solutions, SEALSQ ensures that organizations stay protected against quantum threats. Our products are engineered to safeguard critical systems, enhancing resilience and security across diverse industries. For more information on our Post-Quantum Semiconductors and security solutions, please visit Forward-Looking Statements This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning SEALSQ Corp and its businesses. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business strategy, financial performance, results of operations, market data, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, as well as any other statements which are not historical facts. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include SEALSQ's ability to continue beneficial transactions with material parties, including a limited number of significant customers; market demand and semiconductor industry conditions; and the risks discussed in SEALSQ's filings with the SEC. Risks and uncertainties are further described in reports filed by SEALSQ with the SEC. SEALSQ Corp is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
