Sherbrooke-based SBQuantum successfully launched its unique diamond quantum magnetometer into orbit today aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on the SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 rideshare mission early this morning, the launch is part of the final phase of the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) MagQuest Challenge. The multi-million-dollar competition seeks to leverage cost-effective CubeSats to monitor Earth’s magnetic field and ensure the accuracy of the critical World Magnetic Model (WMM).
The WMM underpins navigation systems relied upon by billions worldwide, supporting mobile navigation apps, commercial flight routing, and mission-critical military operations. The satellites currently collecting the data required to produce the WMM are approaching the end of their operational life. Concurrently, Earth’s magnetic field is shifting at an accelerating rate, necessitating continuous, high-quality monitoring. The NGA intends for MagQuest to establish a cost-effective, CubeSat-based infrastructure to support the next global model update, WMM2030.
Current infrastructure for monitoring the magnetic field is large, expensive, and provides only periodic snapshots. SBQuantum’s device is roughly the size of a quart of milk and uses the principles of quantum physics to deliver continuous monitoring of the field with high precision in space environments. Prior to launch, the quantum magnetometer underwent testing at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
“Reaching the final phase of MagQuest is the most significant technical milestone in our company’s history,” said David Roy-Guay, Founder of SBQuantum. “Our technology has now been validated for the most demanding conditions imaginable, and we are proud to bring to market a device which could soon play a central role in how the world navigates on land, air and sea”.
A core application for this technology is resilient navigation. Unlike GPS, magnetic navigation provides accurate readings in environments where satellite signals are denied, degraded, or contested. This capability makes it a strategic priority for defence and aerospace sectors seeking alternatives to GPS amid growing electronic warfare threats. Within Canada, quantum sensors were recently designated as one of ten “Key Sovereign Capabilities” under the country’s new Defence Industrial Strategy.
MagQuest is a seven-year open innovation challenge launched in 2019. SBQuantum is one of three finalist teams to enter Phase 4, which distributed several million dollars in awards, including a US$1.55 million Phase 4a incentive prize to design, build, test, and launch the hardware. SBQuantum is competing in partnership with Spire Global, utilizing Spire’s satellite infrastructure, ground stations, and data processing capabilities. Beyond the MagQuest challenge, SBQuantum has secured over $15 million in R&D contracts and holds agreements with the Canadian Department of National Defence and the European Space Agency.