NASA Developing Quantum Gravity Sensor for Space

NASA is developing a space-based quantum sensor, the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf), for measuring gravity with unprecedented accuracy. Scheduled for launch near the end of the decade, this mission will validate technologies for manipulating light-matter interactions at the atomic scale. The QGGPf will use ultra-cold rubidium atoms as test masses to measure gravitational anomalies. This compact instrument, about 0.25 cubic meters and weighing 125 kilograms, promises to be ten times more sensitive than existing sensors. Potential applications include enhanced navigation, resource management, improved understanding of Earth's subterranean features, and exploration of distant planets.