Canada's SBQuantum, a company specializing in quantum technology, has been awarded an €800,000 ($932,000) contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a prototype quantum magnetometer designed for space-based Earth observation.
The 21-month contract, announced on November 14th, will see SBQuantum enhance the quantum diamond magnetometer previously supplied to ESA for testing and evaluation in 2024. According to the press release, the upgraded sensor will be tailored to meet ESA's stringent requirements for sensitivity and accuracy.
SBQuantum, established in Quebec in 2017, is also a finalist in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s MagQuest Challenge, a competition aimed at enhancing the measurement of Earth’s magnetic field. “The Earth and its ecosystem are evolving, and humankind needs to better monitor changes in ocean currents and temperatures, among many other transformations, so we can fully understand them, prepare and adapt,” said David Roy-Guay, SBQuantum CEO and founder, in a statement.
Roy-Guay added: “A byproduct of demonstrating space readiness is that this doubles as a strong validation of terrestrial readiness for our hardware.” Quantum diamond magnetometers deployed on satellites offer potentially greater sensitivity compared to traditional space-based magnetometers.
According to Aaron Strangfeld, ESA quantum & emerging sensing technologies engineer, “Our earlier research shows that diamond magnetometers may meet the performance needed for Earth observation.” Strangfeld stated, “Now we need to prove that building such an instrument is possible.”
SBQuantum has also benefited from funding from the Canadian Space Agency’s Space Technology Development program. Canada, as ESA's only non-European cooperating state, provides funding via the Canada-ESA program.