Globally, space agencies actively evaluate quantum sensing for its practical applications in space-based Earth Observation (EO), focusing on how it can improve accuracy, stability and enable new operational concepts. The near future looks promising for specific quantum technologies like Cold-Atom Interferometers (CAI), Rydberg Receivers (RR), and Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) center-based magnetometers. These have the potential to enhance existing EO instrumentation in specific areas. A key task ahead is to identify and evaluate these potential improvements in the context of EO missions and to explore new observational concepts that may be enabled by these technologies. In our presentation, we will discuss the ongoing and planned activities in this area supported by the European Space Agency’s (ESA). This includes work on CAI for gravimetry, RRs in microwave radiometry, and NV center-based magnetometers for studying the Earth’s magnetosphere.
Globally, space agencies actively evaluate quantum sensing for its practical applications in space-based Earth Observation (EO), focusing on how it can improve accuracy, stability and enable new operational concepts. The near future looks promising for specific quantum technologies like Cold-Atom Interferometers (CAI), Rydberg Receivers (RR), and Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) center-based magnetometers. These have the potential to enhance existing EO instrumentation in specific areas. A key task ahead is to identify and evaluate these potential improvements in the context of EO missions and to explore new observational concepts that may be enabled by these technologies. In our presentation, we will discuss the ongoing and planned activities in this area supported by the European Space Agency’s (ESA). This includes work on CAI for gravimetry, RRs in microwave radiometry, and NV center-based magnetometers for studying the Earth’s magnetosphere.
Quantum sensing has emerged as a promising approach for spaceborne Earth Observation (EO) with the potential to offer higher accuracy, sensitivity and stability than instruments used in EO missions so far. While several quantum sensors have been developed and successfully tested in ground-based experiments, with some of them even available as commercial devices, the identification of their potential applications in space remains a challenge. Nevertheless, there are some promising technologies, including cold-atom interferometers, Rydberg receivers, atomic vapor- and Nitrogen-Vacancy center-based magnetometers, and quantum lidar, that show potential for enhancing EO capabilities. In this presentation, we will discuss the latest developments and challenges in quantum sensing for EO at the European Space Agency (ESA), highlighting the most promising technologies and their potential applications. We will also discuss ongoing efforts at ESA to identify potential applications of these sensors and the roadmap for their deployment. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion of the future prospects for quantum sensing in EO and the wider space exploration domain.
This report provides an assessment on cold atom interferometry (CAI) gravity sensing for Earth Observation (EO), and is intended as an instrument to facilitate the interactions between the different communities involved in the definition of a related satellite mission. Indeed, the definition of the objectives of future gravity missions and of the technologies needed for their implementation is the result of complex negotiations and compromises: geodesy and geophysics researchers detail the scientific requirements dictated by their investigation areas (e.g. solid Earth dynamics, ocean mass and heat transport, ice sheets and glaciers evolution), policymakers express their concerns and their priorities (e.g. natural hazards risk assessment, ground water monitoring, floods and droughts forecast), engineers and technology experts devise and implement the most suitable techniques to actually build the satellite and its gravity sensing payload. \nAs we will show in this report, the scientific consensus is that the scientific objectives of a next generation gravity mission (NGGM) to be deployed within a ~10 year timeframe can be achieved by upgrading established technologies already used in gravity-measuring satellites. Transformative technologies such as CAI-based gravity sensors leveraging Bose Einstein Condensates (BEC) of ultra-cold atoms may come to play a role in the longer term, provided that several technology challenges are overcome; in addition, further interdisciplinary work and the simulation of detailed mission scenarios are needed to fully establish their actual usefulness with regards to the attainment of future gravity missions scientific objectives.\nThe scientific community seems to agree on the opportunity of an intermediate stepping stone, which could take the form of a scientific mission with a dedicated satellite, in order to test and prove the in-space feasibility and the actual usefulness of CAI-based gravity sensors.
We summarise the discussions at a virtual Community Workshop on Cold Atoms in Space concerning the status of cold atom technologies, the prospective scientific and societal opportunities offered by their deployment in space, and the developments needed before cold atoms could be operated in space. The cold atom technologies discussed include atomic clocks, quantum gravimeters and accelerometers, and atom interferometers. Prospective applications include metrology, geodesy and measurement of terrestrial mass change due to, e.g., climate change, and fundamental science experiments such as tests of the equivalence principle, searches for dark matter, measurements of gravitational waves and tests of quantum mechanics. We review the current status of cold atom technologies and outline the requirements for their space qualification, including the development paths and the corresponding technical milestones, and identifying possible pathfinder missions to pave the way for missions to exploit the full potential of cold atoms in space. Finally, we present a first draft of a possible road-map for achieving these goals, that we propose for discussion by the interested cold atom, Earth Observation, fundamental physics and other prospective scientific user communities, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and national space and research funding agencies.
The Space Science and Technology Partnership Forum (S&T Forum), comprised of an interagency team from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the United States Space Force, presents findings and recommendations from a study on the state of quantum sensors for space applications, enabling component technologies, facilities, and developers across government, industry, and academia. The following five areas of quantum sensing technology (listed in alphabetical order) were identified as being of near-term interest to all three S&T Forum agencies: atomic clocks, atom interferometers, quantum magnetometers, Rydberg sensors, and single photon detectors. This paper focuses on two recommendations: 1) increased collaboration between the S&T Forum, industry, and academia on the development of enabling components for the five quantum sensing technology areas, and 2) challenges and future opportunities to take quantum sensors from the laboratory to space. Through this study, the S&T Forum found a diverse and broad community of quantum sensing developers in the United States that are leading efforts in research, testing, manufacturing, and qualification of quantum sensors and their enabling component technologies. There are common needs across quantum sensing technology areas. To address the common needs, the S&T Forum agencies are encouraged to utilize existing models and mechanisms to enable co-development of enabling component technologies and to explore new avenues for engagement with the quantum sensing community.
"What are atoms doing in space anyways?" This talk will provide a brief overview of applications of quantum technologies in space ranging from precise timing and inertial measurements to fundamental physics. Quantum technologies have seen a wide field of applications in medicine, geosciences, computing and communications, in many cases bridging the gap from laboratory experiments to commercial products in the last decade. For terrestrial applications that is. But what about going to space? Quantum physics based sensors and experiments promise higher accuracy, sensitivity or better long term stability as they rely on immutable properties of atoms. When properly manipulated, these (ultra-)cold atoms are likely to outperform state of the art instruments. Experiments conducted on sounding rockets demonstrated important steps like Bose-Einstein Condensate creation during a few minutes in microgravity, enabling more advanced quantum experiments in the future. The International Space Station and the Tiangong Space Station host dedicated experiments like ultrastable clocks as well as flexible research infrastructure for fundamental research benefitting from long free-fall times. However, the deployment of such technologies on satellites is not as advanced. Satellite missions utilizing quantum sensors or performing long term experiments are subject to studies and proposals backed by a broad scientific community aiming at better understanding of climate change, interplanetary navigation or tests of general relativity. First steps towards realization of such missions are taken by ESA, NASA and various national space agencies as well as universities funded by national agencies or the EU. This talk will detect the current state of atoms in space and give an overview of active programs to deploy quantum sensors on operational satellite missions. The focus is on future applications in geosciences and related fields employing the same technology.
The reliability and long-term stability of Earth Observation (EO) data products depend fundamentally on the accurate calibration of optical and infrared detectors. Current spaceborne radiometers, spectrometers, and imaging payloads rely on onboard blackbody sources, sun diffusers, deep space calibration port and ground-based reference targets. Although these techniques are mature, they remain limited by ageing effects and degradation, contamination, spectral non-uniformity, and the absence of true absolute traceability. These limitations impact climate data records, the reliability and stability of the data, the performances and quality of the products, inter-mission consistency, and the ability to meet increasingly stringent scientific and user requirements in domains such as environmental monitoring, atmospheric composition, disaster management, and climate services. The QUASAR concept proposes a quantum-based on-board calibration architecture that derives detector efficiency from fundamental photon pair correlations. By exploiting the absolute properties of quantum states, this approach removes the dependence on external radiometric reference standards and enables intrinsically traceable, self-contained, and highly stable in-flight calibration. The study investigates the feasibility of implementing a compact quantum optical source within EO payloads, with the objective of providing real-time, absolute calibration of Charge-Coupled Device, Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor, and Single-Photon Avalanche Diode-array detectors across the visible to short-wave infrared spectrum. The work presented assesses QUASAR as an integrated application that links advanced quantum technologies with the operational needs of EO user communities. The study addresses four dimensions essential to end-to-end solution development: 1. Scientific relevance, by identifying EO application sectors where improved calibration stability directly enhances societal and environmental decision-making; 2. Future potential, by quantifying performance improvements relative to current techniques and evaluating benefits for users who depend on long-term climate records and high-precision retrievals; 3. Feasibility, through architectural and engineering analyses that consider mass, power, thermal stability, and optical integration constraints for space deployment; 4. Strategic alignment, by situating the concept within the broader service value chain that supports climate services, environmental monitoring, and policy-driven EO programmes. By introducing an absolute radiometric reference that is independent of ageing and external targets, QUASAR has the potential to reinforce the robustness and societal impact of EO applications that rely on continuous, high-quality and stable data streams. The concept represents a cross-disciplinary pathfinder that bridges quantum technology, space engineering, and user-driven climate services, and offers a promising avenue for future integrated EO systems. The study is conducted as part of an activity funded by the European Space Agency and carried out in collaboration between INRIM, Starion Italia S.p.A., ASTRO S.r.l., and Politecnico di Torino.