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Miniature satellites, intended to refine how the U.S. gauges Earth’s geomagnetic field—a potential avenue to broaden the military’s positioning, navigation, and timing operations—were launched on March 30 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
These three cubesats, components of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency’s MagQuest initiative, ascended into space aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 rideshare mission during the early hours. Upon achieving orbit, these craft are set to furnish vital information, enhancing the precision of the World Magnetic Model, a foundational element for various defense and civilian uses—ranging from guidance systems to power management and communication networks.
“We are close to demonstrating that compact, cost-effective satellites are capable of supplying the superior magnetic data essential to our nation,” stated Mike Paniccia, NGA’s program lead for the World Magnetic Model. “For several years, these groups have been extending the limits of what CubeSat technology can achieve, and this deployment represents the point where all that innovation confronts its final assessment.”
The World Magnetic Model functions as the authoritative reference for systems relying on the geomagnetic field for their operation. Given that Earth’s magnetic force undergoes continual alteration, the model necessitates periodic revisions. Every half-decade, the NGA and the United Kingdom’s Defence Geographic Centre—collaboratively responsible for the WMM—renew the model to account for these shifts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the British Geological Survey subsequently release these revisions.
Since 2013, the model has depended on European Space Agency satellites known as Swarm, which are equipped with instruments to gauge the magnetic field; however, the NGA has been striving to create novel systems to augment Swarm. In 2019, it unveiled MagQuest as a method to harness innovations from emerging companies, research facilities, and universities to shape upcoming strategies for enhancing the WMM’s dependability. By 2021, three groups were selected, having progressed through the conceptualization and development stages, to construct and deploy their satellites:
- Iota Technology, with its Io-1 cubesat, which incorporates sophisticated sensor mechanisms and deployable components
- Spire Global and SB Quantum, who engineered a quantum magnetometer for observing Earth’s magnetic field and refreshing the WMM almost constantly
- The University of Colorado Boulder, whose Compact Spaceborne Magnetic Observatory Cubesat, or COSMO, was conceived to deliver premium data acquisition
Through a press statement issued on March 30, SBQuantum indicated that although MagQuest primarily aims to pinpoint innovations capable of enhancing the WMM, the information gathered from systems such as its quantum magnetometer holds additional ramifications. This data, the company suggests, could facilitate substitutes for GPS in areas of positioning, navigation, and timing.
“In contrast to GPS, magnetic guidance offers dependable and precise measurements across every setting, including areas where satellite transmissions are unavailable, compromised, or challenged,” the firm stated. “Consequently, this becomes a vital objective for the defense and aerospace industries searching for robust substitutes to GPS amidst an era of escalating electronic conflict.”
As soon as the MagQuest satellites are completely deployed in orbit, the groups will commence gathering geomagnetic information and evaluating it against the most recent WMM benchmark from 2025. Their efficacy will influence NGA’s procurement approach for a novel magnetic field data acquisition system, which it anticipates delivering by 2030—conveniently for the subsequent WMM revision.
“Apart from showcasing scientific superiority and technical accomplishment, a triumphantly executed mission will produce a novel and economical method for resolving issues,” the NGA declared. “The MagQuest teams’ nanosatellites are capable of being constructed, deployed, and managed for merely a portion of the expenditure required to duplicate the prior Swarm satellite constellation methodology.”
The audio accompaniment for this piece is presented by the Air & Space Forces Association, dedicated to recognizing and assisting our Airmen, Guardians, and their relatives. More details are available at afa.org