Quantum Entanglement and the Space Communication Problem
In March 2010, Agency released a reference document exploring a question that sits at the intersection of fundamental physics and practical space operations: could quantum entanglement and nonlocality be harnessed for observer-to-observer signaling? The document, produced under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program, does not claim that such communication has been achieved. Instead, it systematically reviews the physics of entanglement, examines the theoretical barriers known as no-signal theorems, and considers experimental scenarios that might circumvent them.
The stakes are considerable. 3 hours to reach Neptune. These delays preclude real-time control of remote spacecraft and necessitate pre-programmed robotic systems with limited autonomy.
The central question posed by the DIA report is whether quantum nonlocality—the phenomenon whereby measurements on one entangled particle appear to influence its distant partner—could provide a workaround. If nonlocal signaling were possible, it would break several established no-signal theorems and could serve as an enabling technology…