NASA is developing the world’s first-ever space-based quantum sensor designed to measure tiny changes in gravity. The device, called Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf), uses a technique called atom interferometry and can detect shifts caused by moving water, tectonic activity, or shifting rock. These movements offer clues about what lies beneath the planet’s surface.
According to Jason Hyon, chief technologist for Earth Science at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, scientists could determine the mass of the Himalayas using atoms. The new sensor is compact, weighing only 275 pounds and measuring about the size of a small washing machine. It’s smaller and lighter than traditional space-based gravity instruments, making it ideal for space missions.
The QGGPf sensor works by dropping clouds of cooled atoms into freefall, where lasers separate and bring them back together. As the atoms recombine, they interfere in a way that reveals how much they were accelerated by gravity. This allows scientists to measure tiny changes in gravity with extreme precision.
Researchers are refining the technology to make it more accurate and durable. Sheng-wey Chiow, an experimental physicist at JPL, said that using atoms guarantees consistent measurements, reducing sensitivity to environmental effects. NASA plans to test the sensor near the end of the decade, pushing the limits of how light and atoms interact at the smallest scales.
The development of this quantum sensor could revolutionize navigation, resource management, and national security by providing crucial data on underground features such as aquifers and mineral deposits.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/nasa-developing-1st-ever-space-based-quantum-sensor-for-gravity-measurements