The European Commission and the French and German space agencies, CNES and DLR, reaffirm their commitment to deploy a Quantum Space Gravimetry Pathfinder Mission

CNES and DLR, co-leading the CARIOQA-PMP consortium, signed together with the European Commission a Joint Declaration on a Quantum Space Gravimetry Pathfinder Mission at Le Bourget Air Show, in Paris, on 20 June 2023. The declaration reaffirms the common intention to join efforts for the deployment of this mission in space within the decade to test a quantum accelerometer.

Walther PELZER, Director-General of the German Space Agency, DLR, Timo PESONEN, Director-general for defence industry and space at the European Commission and Lionel SUCHET, Chief operating officer, CNES, at the signature of the Joint Declaration at le Bourget Air Show (Paris).

Source : “German Space Agency/DLR”

In line with CARIOQA-PMP, this Joint Declaration paves the way for the development of future phases of the project, while securing the European leadership in quantum technologies.

The primary goal of the Quantum Pathfinder Mission is to achieve a technological milestone, while at the same time laying the foundations for improved gravity missions in the 2030s. These will help us to better understand and manage phenomena such as climate change.