Related papers: STE-QUEST -- Space Time Explorer and QUantum Equiv…
Since it began \cite{CocconiMorrison}, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has focused on interstellar \emph{classical} communication. Recently, Berera \cite{Berera:2020rpl} pointed out that, at certain frequencies, photon…
The Einstein Probe (EP) is an interdisciplinary mission of time-domain and X-ray astronomy. Equipped with a wide-field lobster-eye X-ray focusing imager, EP will discover cosmic X-ray transients and monitor the X-ray variability of known…
The joint realm of quantum mechanics and the general-relativistic description of gravitation is becoming increasingly accessible to terrestrial experiments and observations. In this essay we study the emerging indications of the violation…
A quantum positioning system (QPS) is proposed that can provide a user with all four of his space-time coordinates. The user must carry a corner cube reflector, a good clock, and have a two-way classical channel of communication with the…
To date, no framework combining quantum field theory and general relativity and hence unifying all four fundamental interactions, exists. Violations of the Einstein's equivalence principle (EEP), being the foundation of general relativity,…
The ESA/KU Leuven CubeSpec mission is specifically designed to provide low-cost space-based high-resolution optical spectroscopy. Here we highlight the science requirements and capabilities of CubeSpec. The primary science goal is to…
The GQuEST (Gravity from the Quantum Entanglement of Space-Time) experiment uses tabletop-scale Michelson laser interferometers to probe for fluctuations in space-time. We present a practicable interferometer design featuring a novel photon…
This white paper proposes that AMBITION, a Comet Nucleus Sample Return mission, be a cornerstone of ESA's Voyage 2050 programme. We summarise some of the most important questions still open in cometary science after the successes of the…
THESEUS is a medium size space mission of the European Space Agency, currently under evaluation for a possible launch in 2032. Its main objectives are to investigate the early Universe through the observation of gamma-ray bursts and to…
The Solar Spectroscopy Explorer (SSE) concept is conceived as a scalable mission, with two to four instruments and a strong focus on coronal spectroscopy. In its core configuration it is a small strategic mission ($250-500M) built around a…
The study of molecular physics using ultracold gases has provided a unique probe into the fundamental properties of nature and offers new tools for quantum technologies. In this article we outline how the use of a space environment to study…
The question "How did we get here and what will the future bring?" captures the human imagination and the attention of the National Academy of Science's Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Commitee (AASC). Fulfillment of this "fundamental…
Conventionally, experiments probing the quantum nature of gravity were thought to be prohibitive due to the extremely high energy scales involved. However, recent and rapid advances at the intersection of quantum information and gravity,…
The equivalence principle can be tested by precision experiments based on classical and quantum systems, on the ground as well as in space. In many models, these tests are mostly equivalent in their ability to constrain physics beyond the…
The possibility of long-baseline quantum experiments in space makes it necessary to better understand the time evolution of relativistic quantum particles in a weakly varying gravitational field. We explain why conventional treatments by…
Capitalizing on the enthusiasm about space science in the general public, our goal as an interdisciplinary group of scholars is to design and teach a new team-taught interdisciplinary course, "Philosophy and Science of Space Exploration…
The JEM-EUSO mission aims to explore the origin of the extreme energy cosmic rays (EECRs) through the observation of air-shower fluorescence light from space. The superwide-field telescope looks down from the International Space Station…
That the laws of physics are the same at all times and places throughout the Universe is one of the basic assumptions of physics. Astronomical observations provide the only means to test this basic assumption on cosmological time and…
Quantum teleportation, lying at the heart of a variety of quantum technologies, has inspired a widespread of research activities, most of which focused on 2-dimensional qubit states. Multilevel systems, qudits, promise to upgrade and…
Quantum sensors exploiting matter waves interferometry promise to realize a new generation of Gravitational Wave detectors. The intrinsic stability of specific atomic energy levels makes atom interferometers and clocks ideal candidates to…