Honeywell Aerospace-led consortium to develop compact quantum space magnetometer to advance research into Earth’s magnetic field

Image courtesy of Wix

Honeywell Aerospace, Quantum Brilliance, and Jagiellonian University in Kraków have announced a cooperation to develop, test and deliver a compact quantum space magnetometer to the European Space Agency (ESA) by 2027 through an ESA-funded contract. The system will be developed within the consortium led by Honeywell Aerospace’s engineering team in Brno, Czech Republic, and is designed for high performance magnetic field measurements from orbit.

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 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).

Leveraging Honeywell Aerospace’s engineering expertise and development work at its Brno R&D site, together with Quantum Brilliance’s pioneering NV-diamond technology and 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.

“Quantum sensors are a breakthrough technology and their development is gaining traction globally,” said Jan Lukáš, quantum sensing technical lead at Honeywell Aerospace. “As the race to lead in this technology’s development intensifies, this new alliance will help Honeywell Aerospace push the technology forward.”

The diamond NV sensor from Quantum Brilliance enables compact, solid-state vector magnetic field measurement with a wide dynamic range. Its crystal structure supports direct 3D magnetic field reconstruction from a single sensing element, reducing system complexity and alignment requirements. Operating at room temperature, NV sensors maintain stable performance across varying magnetic field conditions. This technology is well suited to space environments with strict size, weight, and power constraints.

“Our collaboration with Honeywell Aerospace and Quantum Brilliance is an important step toward demonstrating a low-SWaP quantum sensor,” said John Liobe, Technical Director of European Quantum Sensing Programs at Quantum Brilliance. “This project unlocks a pathway to scalable manufacturing for the benefit of future satellite constellations for Earth science and space domain awareness.”