Honeywell Aerospace will lead a consortium to develop a compact quantum space magnetometer to advance research into Earth’s magnetic field. It has teamed up with Quantum Brilliance, and Jagiellonian University in Kraków to develop, test and deliver this magnetometer to the European Space Agency (ESA) by 2027 through an ESA-funded contract. Honeywell Aerospace announced the news, July 14.
This collaboration combines solid-state quantum sensing with space-ready engineering to provide compact, high-performance, full-vector magnetic field measurements to advance Earth science, geophysics and space domain awareness. Aligned with the ESA’s Earth Observation (EO) and space-science objectives, the instrument will enable more detailed observations of Earth’s magnetic field while meeting strict satellite constraints for size, weight and power (SWaP).
All three parties will bring something different to the project. Honeywell Aerospace’s engineering expertise and development work at its Brno R&D site will be combined with Quantum Brilliance’s NV-diamond technology, as well as the advanced physics research capabilities of Jagiellonian University. The system is expected to enable higher resolution geomagnetic mapping, improved radiation tolerance for long missions and smaller, lower power payloads.
“Our collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace and Quantum Brilliance is an important step toward demonstrating a low-SWaP quantum sensor. This project unlocks a pathway to scalable manufacturing for the benefit of future satellite constellations for Earth science and space domain awareness,” John Liobe, technical director of European Quantum Sensing Programs for Quantum Brilliance, said in a statement.
