On June 30, 2022, the European Commission selected the CARIOQA-PMP (Cold Atom Rubidium Interferometer in Orbit for Quantum Accelerometry – Pathfinder Mission Preparation) project as part of the Horizon Europe calls for tenders on quantum technologies for space gravimetry.
While gravimetry at the service of climate study is a theme to which the European Commission is very attentive, this project, coordinated by CNES, will make it possible to develop, within a European industrial framework, the engineering model of the accelerometer which will equip the CARIOQA demonstration space mission. This significant contribution aims to place Europe at the forefront of the development of quantum technologies for space.
Atomic accelerometers are a breakthrough technology for measuring the Earth’s gravity field. The implementation of this quantum technology in space will allow a considerable improvement in the performance of missions linked to the study of the climate through a better restitution of the gravity field on a planetary scale. However, the spatialization of these sensors raises many questions related not only to the technological maturity of the subsystems that compose them, but also to the ability to effectively obtain the expected measurement performance in flight. Carrying out the CARIOQA mission, which will test this technology in space, is therefore an essential step in its use for very high-precision scientific measurements in space.
The CARIOQA-PMP consortium [1], coordinated by CNES, will work on creating the engineering model of the instrument. It brings together sixteen partners from five countries of the European Union, including industrialists, world leaders in quantum sensors, space geodesy and Earth sciences, users of gravity field data.
Despite the recent developments made on atomic accelerometers, their spatialization represents a real challenge as the performances required for space applications are demanding. Indeed, the operating regime of these inertial sensors is very different on the ground and in microgravity. It is therefore very difficult to test them under truly representative conditions. The CARIOQA mission aims to embark and test the first atomic accelerometer on board a satellite. This demonstration mission is a decisive step for the spatialization of this technology.
What is an atomic accelerometer?
The emergence of technologies related to the cooling and manipulation of atoms by lasers has enabled the development of new types of measuring instruments. These sensors, qualified as quantum, are based on an ultra-precise measurement of the movement of cold atoms in free fall inside a vacuum chamber. In particular, this technology makes it possible to perform, on the ground, gravity and acceleration measurements with unequaled levels of precision.
What are the potential applications in space?
Using these sensors in microgravity offers a unique opportunity to improve their performance. Indeed, weightlessness potentially makes it possible to observe the movement of atoms for very long times, making the measurement of acceleration and gravity all the more precise. The implementation of this quantum technology in space can thus allow a considerable improvement in the performance of missions linked to the study of the climate through a better restitution of the gravity field at the terrestrial scale.
