IonQ is now delivering ground deformation data with millimeter precision and a three-day repeat cycle, demonstrated by measuring shifts exceeding 70 centimeters per year in Mexico City. The company has commercially launched Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) capabilities through its space missions, offering fully automated tasking and data delivery for consistent monitoring of physical changes on Earth. This new solution reduces the delays of manual coordination and long revisit intervals previously common with commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar data. “This launch expands IonQ’s space mission and sensing capabilities, delivering persistent, change-monitoring intelligence from space,” said Jordan Shapiro, IonQ President and General Manager, Quantum Platform. By utilizing a unique constellation in mid-inclination and sun-synchronous orbits, IonQ is providing more reliable, high-frequency monitoring for applications ranging from infrastructure to national security.
Automated 3-Day Repeat InSAR for Millimeter Monitoring
Subtle shifts in the Earth’s surface, previously detectable only through painstaking analysis, are now routinely measured with millimeter precision thanks to a new capability launched by IonQ. The company’s Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) system delivers data with a three-day repeat cycle, a significant acceleration over conventional commercial satellite radar offerings. This increased frequency allows for consistent tracking of ground deformation, crucial for monitoring infrastructure, environmental changes, and even subtle movements indicative of potential hazards. The system’s speed is rooted in a specific orbital architecture utilizing both mid-inclination and sun-synchronous orbits; this combination ensures consistent repeatable acquisition geometry, improving the accuracy of deformation analysis and enabling the separation of vertical and horizontal motion for detailed three-dimensional mapping.
Performance has already been validated; a 2025 study over Mexico City demonstrated the ability to measure deformation rates exceeding 70 centimeters per year using data collected over just seven weeks. This level of detail, previously requiring months to accumulate, is now available through an automated tasking platform, eliminating manual coordination and streamlining data delivery. Shapiro added that by combining automated tasking at shorter intervals with consistent, high-quality data collection, customers can monitor physical change with greater frequency, automation, and confidence, potentially enabling proactive intervention and improved risk assessment across multiple sectors.
SAR Constellation Enables High-Frequency Deformation Analysis
IonQ’s recent launch of commercial Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) capabilities marks a significant increase in the frequency and precision of ground deformation monitoring, building upon existing satellite-based observation techniques. While commercial SAR data has been available for years, the company is now delivering consistent millimeter-precision data with automated tasking and delivery, a capability previously hampered by manual coordination and lengthy data revisit intervals. This automated system allows customers to define repeat data collections, with the entire process handled without human intervention, accelerating the availability of critical intelligence.
This launch expands IonQ’s space mission and sensing capabilities, delivering persistent, change-monitoring intelligence from space.
Jordan Shapiro, IonQ President and General Manager, Quantum Platform
99% Two-Qubit Gate Fidelity & Quantum Platform Expansion
IonQ continues to refine both the performance of its quantum processors and the breadth of data services offered through its expanding space-based infrastructure. Recent advancements demonstrate a sustained focus on practical applications extending beyond computational tasks, now incorporating high-precision Earth observation. In 2025, the company achieved 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, establishing a new record in quantum computing performance and signaling continued progress in hardware stability and error correction. This enhanced capability underpins a newly launched Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) service, delivering fully automated 3-day repeat data collections for millimeter-precision ground deformation monitoring. IonQ’s InSAR solution distinguishes itself by eliminating the delays associated with manual coordination, a common limitation of existing commercial SAR data providers. Customers can define repeat data collections, with the system autonomously handling tasking and delivery. By combining these orbital characteristics with automated tasking, IonQ is providing a platform for more frequent, accurate, and automated analysis of Earth’s dynamic surface.
By combining automated tasking at shorter intervals with consistent, high-quality data collection, we are enabling customers to monitor physical change with greater frequency, automation, and confidence.
Jordan Shapiro, IonQ President and General Manager, Quantum Platform
