SBQuantum, a Canadian company pioneering quantum diamond magnetometers, has secured two significant contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The ESA contract will evaluate the viability of SBQuantum’s technology in space, focusing on applications that enhance human understanding of the Earth’s magnetic environment. Meanwhile, the CSA will test the company’s magnetometer at an altitude of 40km as part of its STRATOS Program, demonstrating its ability to collect precise data in extreme temperatures and low-pressure environments.
These contracts build upon SBQuantum’s existing momentum from the MagQuest Challenge, organized by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and NASA Tournament Lab. Aaron Strangfeld, Quantum Engineer at ESA, expressed optimism about the technology’s potential advantages in space. With these partnerships, SBQuantum is poised to revolutionize space-based applications, including attitude control, guiding rovers on other planets, and mapping minerals under the moon’s surface.
Quantum Diamond Magnetometers: A New Frontier in Space Exploration
SBQuantum, a Canadian company, has announced two new contracts with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop and test its quantum diamond magnetometer technology in space. This technology has the potential to provide accurate readings from space, enabling a range of applications that can enrich human understanding of the Earth and its magnetic environment.
The contract with ESA focuses on evaluating the viability of SBQuantum’s sensor technology in space, assessing both its reliability and accuracy. The agency is interested in deploying these sensors on satellites to monitor magnetic storms, which can disrupt navigation and communications on Earth. This technology can also be used for a range of other applications, including attitude control and guiding rovers on the surface of other planets.
The CSA contract involves testing SBQuantum’s magnetometer at an altitude of 40km as part of its STRATOS Program. The testing will demonstrate the instrument’s ability to collect precise data in extreme temperatures and low-pressure environments, while also being exposed to radiation. This project will also include a demonstration of magnetic field-based positioning using a quantum diamond magnetometer, which cannot be jammed like traditional GPS signals.
Advantages of Quantum Diamond Magnetometers
The quantum diamond magnetometer technology developed by SBQuantum has several advantages over existing technologies. Firstly, it is more accurate and reliable than traditional magnetometers, making it ideal for space-based applications. Secondly, it is smaller and lighter, making it easier to deploy on small cube satellites or unmanned vehicles. Finally, it is less expensive than legacy technologies, providing significant value to users at a fraction of the cost.
Aaron Strangfeld, Quantum Engineer at ESA, has expressed optimism about the potential of this technology in space, stating that “the technology is promising, and we are optimistic that its advantages can be realized in space as well.” The contracts with ESA and CSA build on SBQuantum’s existing momentum from the MagQuest Challenge, which is organized by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and NASA Tournament Lab.
Applications of Quantum Diamond Magnetometers
The potential applications of quantum diamond magnetometers are vast and varied. They can be used for mapping and monitoring the Earth’s magnetic field, attitude control and guiding rovers on the surface of other planets, and mapping minerals under the surface of the moon. They can also be used for a range of other applications, including planning operations, mapping logistics, or other relevant uses.
The sensors can easily be mounted on small cube satellites and launched into orbit at a nominal cost, making precise, detailed data about the Earth’s magnetics and geophysics easily accessible to stakeholders who require it. This technology has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the Earth and its magnetic environment, enabling new discoveries and applications that were previously not possible.
SBQuantum: A Leader in Quantum Sensing
SBQuantum is a Canadian company founded and based in Sherbrooke, Canada, a hub for quantum technology. The company is producing leading-edge hardware in the field of quantum sensing, combined with advanced interpretation and compensation algorithms to bring magnetics to new heights. SBQuantum has obtained significant sums of non-dilutive financing to help propel it forward on its mission to bring to market the power of advanced sensors leveraging quantum effects.
The company’s quantum magnetometer has already been tested at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center as part of NASA Tournament Lab. Beyond testing its equipment in space via the MagQuest Challenge and through its contract with ESA, SBQuantum also intends to bring its miniaturized sensors to unmanned vehicles and a range of other deployment scenarios that today’s sensors cannot perform.
External Link: Click Here For More
