From Ground to Orbit: IonQ Outlines a Full-Stack Quantum Future at spaceNEXT 2026
JORDAN SHAPIRO DETAILS HOW IONQ — ALONGSIDE CAPELLA — IS BUILDING CROSS-DOMAIN QUANTUM INFRASTRUCTURE SPANNING LAND, SEA, AIR, AND SPACE
At spaceNEXT 2026, the conversation about the future of infrastructure expanded beyond rockets and launch cadence. It turned to something more foundational.
Quantum.
Taking the main stage in the Vault Theater, Jordan Shapiro, President and General Manager of Quantum Networking, Sensing, and Security at IonQ, delivered a sweeping keynote titled Delivering Quantum Advantage: Across Land, Sea, Air, & Space.
Presented alongside Pioneer Sponsor Capella Space — an IonQ company — the keynote made one thing clear:
IonQ is not building a single quantum computer.
It is building an integrated quantum platform designed to operate across domains — from fiber networks on the ground to satellite constellations in orbit.
A 30-Year Foundation, Now Commercial
IonQ’s story begins more than three decades ago with foundational research led by co-founder Chris Monroe, who demonstrated the world’s first quantum logic gate — proving that computation between two qubits was possible.
That laboratory milestone has since evolved into a publicly traded company delivering quantum computing through all three major public clouds — AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.
But Shapiro emphasized that compute is only one layer of the stack.
IonQ today positions itself as the world’s only full-stack quantum platform, integrating:
Quantum computing
Quantum networking
Quantum security
Quantum sensing
Space infrastructure
Backed by over 1,000 employees, a deep patent portfolio, and $3.5 billion in cash and investments as of its latest earnings report, IonQ is capitalized to build for the long term — a critical factor at the intersection of space, governance, and advanced technology.
Quantum Beyond the Lab
Shapiro reframed quantum not as an abstract scientific breakthrough, but as infrastructure.
Classical computers operate on bits — zeros and ones — and are extraordinarily capable. But certain classes of problems, particularly in chemistry, materials science, logistics, AI optimization, and cryptography, are either inefficient or impossible to solve with classical systems alone.
Quantum computing expands that boundary.
But IonQ’s vision extends further.
The company’s modular approach connects quantum devices together — clustering machines to create more powerful systems, distributing computation across distance, and enabling entirely new forms of secure communication.
And increasingly, that network extends into space.
Why Space Matters to Quantum
The space industry has matured rapidly in recent years, with proliferating LEO constellations, rising geopolitical tensions, and accelerating demand for bandwidth.
“We envision a world with much more secure communications, better synchronization, and sovereign systems across the full quantum stack.”
Shapiro pointed to three converging pressures:
Signal interception risks amid expanding satellite communications
National sovereignty concerns, driving interest in independent constellations
Escalating data demand driven by AI and edge processing
Quantum technology, he argued, intersects directly with all three.
IonQ’s acquisition of Capella Space enables the integration of quantum payloads into modular satellite platforms. These systems could host optical clocks, quantum sensors, and networking hardware capable of linking ground-based quantum networks to orbit.
Precision Timing and GPS Reinvented
One of the most tangible examples presented was IonQ’s optical clock technology.
These clocks — among the most precise in the world — could dramatically enhance positioning accuracy. Today’s GPS systems operate at roughly meter-level precision. With improved timing signatures enabled by quantum clocks, that precision could move toward millimeter-scale accuracy.
The implications span commercial logistics, autonomous vehicles, and defense systems alike.
IonQ’s quantum gyroscopes have already flown aboard Boeing’s X-37B space plane, demonstrating the viability of quantum sensing technologies in orbit.
Secure Communications in a Post-Quantum World
As quantum computing advances, so too does the risk of quantum-enabled cyberattacks.
IonQ is developing quantum key distribution and networking technologies that use quantum mechanics itself to secure communications.
While many current deployments rely on terrestrial fiber networks, Shapiro emphasized that fiber alone cannot scale globally. Satellite relays will be essential to extend secure quantum networks across oceans and continents.
By linking ground quantum nodes to space-based relays — potentially using Capella platforms — IonQ envisions national and allied quantum networks that combine terrestrial infrastructure with orbital reach.
Rooted in the DMV, Built for Global Impact
IonQ’s presence in the DMV region is foundational. Born from research at the University of Maryland and Duke, the company remains headquartered in Maryland and is a core participant in Maryland’s billion-dollar Capital of Quantum initiative.
The company’s federal division continues to deepen partnerships with U.S. government agencies and allied nations, reinforcing the region’s position at the intersection of policy, technology, and national security.
For Shapiro, spaceNEXT embodied that convergence.
“In one conference,” he noted, “you see education, government partnerships, regulatory frameworks, and commercial innovation all coming together.”
Delivering Quantum Advantage
IonQ’s message at spaceNEXT was expansive but focused:
Quantum is not a vertical market.
It is foundational infrastructure.
Across land, sea, air, and space, IonQ is building systems designed to:
Secure communications against emerging threats
Improve synchronization and positioning accuracy
Enable sovereign and distributed networks
Connect quantum devices at national and global scale
As Capella Space reinforces IonQ’s presence in orbit, the integration of quantum technologies into satellite infrastructure signals a broader transformation.
The quantum era is no longer approaching.
It is operational.
And increasingly, it extends beyond the ground — into orbit.
