News
August 15, 2025
ARLINGTON, Va. The U.S. Space Force is preparing to launch the eighth mission of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-8) on August 21 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, with one of the experiments on board being a quantum inertial sensor, which is a potential alternative to GPS that uses quantum science as a tool for navigation.
The quantum inertial sensor set to launch aboard the X‑37B uses a technique called atom interferometry, in which atoms are cooled to the temperature of near absolute zero, so they behave instead like waves. Lasers split each atom into what’s known as a “superposition state,” which means that it simultaneously travels along two paths, which are then recombined. These two paths interfere with each other, creating a pattern similar to overlapping ripples on water; in this pattern are contained pieces of information about how the atom’s environment has affected its journey. Even the smallest shifts in motion — for example sensor rotations or accelerations — leave detectable marks on these atomic “waves”. The hope is, according to Space Force information, unlike mechanical components or electronics quantum sensors are far less prone to drift or bias and can result in long-duration, high-accuracy navigation without the need for external references.
The upcoming X‑37B mission will be the first time this level of quantum inertial navigation is tested in space, say Space Force officials. While previous missions have tested atom interferometers in orbit or suborbital flights and successfully demonstrated the physics behind atom interferometry in space, they were not tested specifically for navigation purposes.
The test of quantum sensors is important for both military and civilian spaceflight, says the Space Force, as it represents a step towards greater operational resilience, especially in scenarios where GPS might be denied. For future space exploration — including to the moon, Mars or even deep space, where autonomy is key — a quantum navigation system could serve not only as a reliable backup but even as a primary system when signals from Earth are interrupted or unavailable.