SBQuantum and Spire to send quantum diamond magnetometer into orbit
Canadian startup SBQuantum will launch a quantum‑diamond magnetometer into low‑Earth orbit on 30 March aboard a Spire Global satellite that is part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare. The payload, roughly the size of a quart of milk, will be hosted on the Spire CubeSat that provides the bus, ground‑station network and data‑processing services for the experiment. SBQuantum and Spire are competing in the fourth and final phase of the National Geospatial‑Intelligence Agency (NGA) MagQuest competition, which also includes U.K. firm Iota Technology and the University of Colorado, Boulder. The launch marks the culmination of the MagQuest selection process that began in 2019. SBQuantum’s founder David Roy‑Guay described the flight as the most significant technical milestone in the company’s history.
The magnetometer relies on quantum‑physics principles to deliver continuous, high‑resolution measurements of Earth’s magnetic field and its temporal variations. The device will operate from a low‑Earth orbit platform deployed by SpaceX, leveraging the Falcon 9 rideshare schedule to reach orbit without a dedicated launch. Spire supplies the satellite platform, a network of ground stations, and the processing pipeline that will convert raw sensor data into usable magnetic field information. The MagQuest competition, funded by the NGA, has allocated $2.1 million in total awards, with $1.55 million granted to each of the three finalist teams for design, fabrication, testing and launch activities. The NGA’s World Magnetic Model, co‑produced with the United Kingdom’s Defence Geographic Centre and distributed by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, depends on accurate magnetic data for navigation, and the agency seeks new sensor technologies to support model updates beginning in 2030. Potential applications for the miniature quantum sensor include navigation in GPS‑denied environments, resource exploration, public‑safety operations and defense‑related mapping.
The SBQuantum flight adds a quantum‑sensor capability to the growing portfolio of commercial small‑satellite payloads aimed at augmenting traditional geomagnetic observation networks. Successful demonstration could influence future contracts for magnetic‑field monitoring and reinforce the role of rideshare missions in accelerating technology readiness for niche scientific instruments. The outcome of the MagQuest competition may shape the next generation of data sources feeding the World Magnetic Model, affecting navigation systems used by civilian and military users worldwide.
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