Developing novel technologies takes time. The Canadian Space Mining Corporation (CSMC) announced that it has been awarded a contract from the Luxembourg Space Agency to develop a Quantum Atomic Subsurface Mapper (QASM) sensor.
The QASM technology is something CSMC has been developing for several years now. In the fall of 2023 they received an undisclosed amount of funding from the Ontario Water Consortium to refine QASM models and independent validation. The target resource was water. Specifically, the QASM instrument is meant to marry “quantum physics with artificial intelligence to produce rich 3D tomography of water and groundwater resources from orbit.” At the time they had hoped to launch the sensor suite on a satellite by 2028.
Fast forward to today, and the QASM technology has been refined to meet a broader goal and be a dual-use technology. CSMC said that the updated sensor suite “is a breakthrough dual-use sensing platform designed to detect and characterize subsurface resources such as critical minerals and water from orbit on the Earth and other planetary bodies.” That sensing platform “will use cold-atom interferometry to achieve ultra-sensitive gravity measurements.”
The goal is to demonstrate the technology in a lab in 2026 followed by field testing. Once validated CSMS hopes to perform a demonstration mission on-orbit “in the next few years.”
Daniel Sax, CEO of CSMC said, “This project is another example of our commitment to growing Canada’s Quantum advantage. Quantum sensors like QASM will redefine how we can more intelligently meet society’s resource needs. QASM has the potential to revolutionize how we detect critical minerals, water, and other things below the surface, which is still today a bit of needle in a haystack. We are extremely grateful for the support of LSA and ESA on this. This collaboration demonstrates the power of transatlantic innovation.”
Bob Lamboray, Senior Manager – Exploration and Space Resources at the Luxembourg Space Agency added, “Luxembourg has long been committed to building international partnerships that accelerate sustainable space exploration. Through collaboration with CSMC and ESA, we are combining Europe’s and Canada’s strengths in quantum research, resource science, and commercial space development.”
CSMC has several ongoing projects including their Canadian Space Agency funded LEUNR (Low Enriched Uranium Nuclear Reactor) for the moon and terrestrial use. CSMC is also a finalist in the Canadian Space Agency / UK Space Agency Aqualunar Challenge.
The value of the contract with the Luxembourg Space Agency was not disclosed. The project is part of Canada’s ongoing cooperation with the European Space Agency.