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.
In the past twenty years, gravimetry missions have demonstrated a unique capability to monitor not only major climate-related changes of the Earth directly from space like quantifying the melting of large glaciers and ice sheets, global sea level rise, continental draught, major flooding events, but also effects of large earthquakes and tsunamis. To respond to the increasing demand of the user community for sustained mass change observations at higher spatial and temporal resolution, ESA and NASA are coordinating their activities and harmonizing their cooperation scenarios in an implementation framework, called MAGIC (MAss change and Geosciences International Constellation). This builds upon the heritage from the GOCE, GRACE and GRACE-FO missions as well as on-going pre-developments on laser–ranging interferometry in preparation for the Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM). The new Laser Tracking Instrument (LTI) is being developed by the industrial lead SpaceTech GmbH with scientific lead at Albert Einstein Institute under contract to ESA. To consolidate the performance of the mission concept and the technological and programmatic feasibility of the entire mission, technology risk-retirement activities will be conducted to achieve Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5/6 for the LTI at the end of Phase B1 and TRL 6 at the Instrument Unit level at the end of Phase A. Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.
In the past twenty years, gravimetry missions have demonstrated a unique capability to monitor major climate-related changes of the Earth directly from space – among others quantifying the melt of large glaciers and ice sheets, global sea level rise, continental draught and major flooding events. A Quantum Space Gravimetry (QSG) mission will provide corresponding Essential Climate Variables (ECV) with unprecedented quality compared to the initially demonstrated and already very successful missions like GOCE and GRACE (FO). To respond to the increasing demand of the user community for sustained mass change observations at higher spatial and temporal resolution, ESA and NASA are coordinating their activities and harmonizing their cooperation scenarios in an implementation framework, called MAGIC (MAss change and Geosciences International Constellation). In a future post-MAGIC mission, classical sensors can be combined with a Cold Atom Interferometry (CAI) instrument, or at a later stage a full quantum sensor could be employed. These Quantum Missions for Climate will reach sensitivities, which enable many applications addressing user needs with respect to water management and hazard prevention among others. Several studies related to these new sensor concepts were initiated at ESA, including technology development for different instrument configurations and validation activities. A new study has been initiated, the Quantum Space Gravimetry for Earth Mass Transport (QSG4EMT), with the focus on both, QSG mission architectures for monitoring of Earth's mass transport processes and the development of QSG user requirements.
Additional presentation content can be accessed on the supplemental content page.
The objective of ESA’s Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) is long-term monitoring of the temporal variations of Earth’s gravity field at high temporal (down to 3 days) and spatial (100 km) resolution. Such variations carry information about mass change induced by the water cycle and the related mass exchange among atmosphere, oceans, cryosphere and land, and will complete our picture of Global Change with otherwise unavailable data. The observable is the variation of the distance between two satellites measured by a laser interferometer; ultra-precise accelerometers measure the nongravitational accelerations to correct the gravity signal in the data processing. The optimal satellite system comprises two pairs of satellites on low (between 396 and 488 km) circular orbits, at 220 km separation, one pair quasi-polar and the other around 65°-70° inclination. The satellite-to-satellite tracking technique for detecting the temporal variations of gravity was established by GRACE (300-400 km spatial resolution at monthly intervals) using tracking in the microwave band. Today, GRACE is being continued by GRACE-Follow-On, with similar objectives, where the laser interferometry has improved the measurement resolution by a factor of 100 (upper MBW). At 150 km spatial resolution, mass change would become observable in 80% of all significant river basins, against 10% achieved with GRACE. High temporal resolution will reveal large-scale sub-weekly mass variations, with applications in water and emergency management. NGGM is a candidate Mission of Opportunity for ESA-NASA cooperation in the framework of MAGIC. The paper focusses on the on-going Phase A system design and technology pre-development activities.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.