ESA to Test Canadian Startup's Diamond Quantum Sensors in Space

August 21, 2024

SBQuantum, a startup based in Sherbrooke, Canada, is developing quantum diamond magnetometers, pictured here, to be tested on European Space Agency (ESA)-operated satellites. (Image: SBQuantum)

SBQuantum, a Sherbrooke, Canada-based startup developing quantum diamond magnetometers capable of providing accurate readings from space, announced a pair of new contracts this week with two different government agencies in space exploration.

First, the company has been contracted by the European Space Agency (ESA) to evaluate the viability of its quantum diamond magnetometer technology in space. ESA is assessing both the reliability and accuracy of SBQuantum’s sensor technology, as well as how these sensors could be deployed on a satellite in space for a range of applications. The contract focuses on applications enriching human understanding of the Earth and its magnetic environment. For instance, satellite-based magnetometers can be useful in monitoring magnetic storms, which can disrupt navigation and communications here on Earth.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has also selected SBQuantum, and will be testing the company’s magnetometer at an altitude of 40 km as part of its STRATOS Program. The testing will demonstrate the instrument’s ability to collect precise data in temperatures as low as -60 °C (-76 °F) and low-pressure environments, while also being exposed to radiation. Furthermore, this project will include a demonstration of magnetic field-based positioning (whose signal cannot be jammed) using a quantum diamond magnetometer, as opposed to relying on the heavy infrastructure of traditional GPS.

In partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, SBQuantum tested its quantum magnetometer at a test site in Sweden’s high arctic region using a high altitude balloon to evaluate its ability to operate under low pressure and temperature conditions. (Image: SBQuantum)

The sensors SBQuantum has developed are diamond quantum magnetometers for measuring magnetic fields, used for variety of applications ranging from navigation to mining exploration. The company is currently integrating these diamond-based sensors into small “cubesat” satellites to generate a map of the planetary magnetic field, which is used in all navigation systems. Another possible application is to integrate them into lunar or Martian robots to map geology there and confirm mineral potential, to extract materials directly on other planets.

For the ESA contract, SBQ is studying the potential of diamond-based quantum magnetometer technology for Earth observation missions. The goal is to replace existing bus-sized satellites with less expensive microsatellites which are the size of a jug of milk, but with similar performance levels. Possible applications here include studying the impact of solar storms on the ionosphere, predicting earthquakes and understanding how the Earth's magnetic field evolves over time. In the future, groups of magnetic observation satellites will guide GPS-free navigation underground, underwater, and in conflict zones.

The Canadian Space Agency project is designed to ensure the magnetometer’s readiness for space through a series of tests. These include testing for shocks caused during rocket launches, radiation exposure in orbit, and exposure to extreme temperatures. The project will also see the improvement of the sensor’s performance to measure Earth’s magnetic field fluctuations with parts per million accuracy (1 nanotesla) for measuring and predicting magnetic pole shifts. In 2026, the sensor will be deployed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), making it the first high-precision diamond-based magnetometer in space.

“These contracts are further evidence of the tremendous potential of the quantum diamond magnetometers we are commercializing at SBQuantum. Years of investment, research and development are now beginning to pay off, as leading organizations in space exploration are acknowledging that our hardware has the potential to provide an important advantage over existing technologies. Furthermore, these sensors can be deployed for a range of applications, and therefore provide significant value to the user at a fraction of the cost of the legacy technologies currently in use. We’d like to thank both ESA and the CSA for their confidence in us, and we look forward to cultivating a long and fruitful relationship with both of these prestigious organizations” said David Roy-Guay, CEO and Cofounder of SBQuantum.

"The technology is promising, and we are optimistic that its advantages can be realized in space as well." added Aaron Strangfeld, Quantum Engineer at ESA.

These contracts build the company’s existing momentum from the MagQuest Challenge , which is organized by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defence, in partnership with the NASA Tournament Lab. SBQuantum is currently a finalist in that challenge, which will see its quantum magnetometer sent into space for testing. The results of this testing will determine if this device is suitable to be used for mapping and monitoring the earth’s magnetic field moving forward.

Both the new contracts are being carried out over the summer. Confirming the durability and accuracy of these devices will then also pave the way for additional space-based applications ranging from attitude control and guiding rovers on the surface of other planets, to mapping minerals under the surface of the moon and an array of other possibilities.

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