MagQuest is a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) competition to develop new ways to collect the geomagnetic data used to update the World Magnetic Model. Its Phase 4 teams are building CubeSat-based approaches, including one that uses a diamond quantum magnetometer. The goal is resilient data collection for a model used in navigation—not proof that any MagQuest satellite has already delivered accepted data.
What is MagQuest?
MagQuest is an NGA challenge to find novel ways to collect measurements of Earth’s magnetic field for the World Magnetic Model (WMM). NASA’s 2019 overview said the effort was intended to reduce reliance on Europe’s Swarm mission, whose measurements had supported WMM updates since 2013.
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The competition has four phases: concepts in spring 2019, design in summer 2019, iteration in 2020, and a Phase 4 build-and-launch period from 2021 through 2026. Phase 4 teams are building and testing systems intended to supply geomagnetic data for future model updates. NASA reported that Phase 1 awards totalled $200,000 across up to 10 winners, while Phase 2 awards totalled $1,000,000 across up to five winners.
Why does the World Magnetic Model matter?
A compass responds to magnetic north, not geographic north. The WMM describes Earth’s magnetic field so navigation systems can account for the difference and determine magnetic direction. Because the field changes over time, the model is produced on a five-year cycle.
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The WMM is a joint product of the U.S. NGA and the UK Defence Geographic Centre, with production by NOAA and the British Geological Survey. Its uses include navigation and attitude determination for submarines, aircraft and satellites, as well as magnetic guidance in mobile navigation. The MagQuest challenge page says more than one billion smartphone users depend on WMM-based magnetic guidance; that figure is a program-page claim, not an independently audited count.
How can a quantum sensor measure a magnetic field?
Quantum sensors use field-sensitive properties of atoms or engineered defects in a material to detect a magnetic field. The exact signal depends on the sensor design; “quantum sensor” describes a family of approaches, not one instrument or one measurement method.
NASA’s silicon-carbide prototype
NASA Science describes SiCMag, a prototype made from silicon carbide containing intentionally introduced quantum centers. Changes in electrical current reveal a magnetoresistance signal tied to the strength and direction of an external magnetic field. NASA says the material may tolerate the temperature extremes and radiation encountered in space. SiCMag illustrates one quantum-sensing approach; it is not one of the three MagQuest Phase 4 CubeSat teams listed by the program.
MagQuest’s diamond magnetometer
The SBQuantum and Spire Global team is developing a CubeSat payload with a diamond quantum magnetometer. MagQuest describes the sensor and satellite system, but does not specify in its program summary the detailed signal-readout method for this instrument. The diamond device is distinct from NASA’s silicon-carbide SiCMag prototype.
Which CubeSats are part of MagQuest?
The three Phase 4 teams use different sensor and spacecraft strategies. The program descriptions establish the following distinctions; they do not provide comparable performance results.
| Team and system | Sensor approach | Platform or interference strategy | Data path and calibration details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iota Technology, Io-1 | Vector fluxgate magnetometer and atomic scalar magnetometer | CubeSat with a deployable helical boom | Not stated in the MagQuest program description |
| SBQuantum and Spire Global | Diamond quantum magnetometer | CubeSat using Spire’s satellite infrastructure | Spire’s ground stations and data processing are part of the described system; specific calibration procedures are not stated in the MagQuest program description |
| University of Colorado Boulder, COSMO | Compact scalar-vector magnetometer designed for CubeSats | Compact spaceborne magnetic observatory designed for magnetic cleanliness | Not stated in the MagQuest program description |
These are complementary engineering choices rather than interchangeable versions of a single quantum instrument. Iota combines two established sensor types and a boom; SBQuantum and Spire pair a diamond quantum magnetometer with an existing satellite and data infrastructure; COSMO emphasizes a compact scalar-vector instrument and magnetic cleanliness.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why are spacecraft magnetic interference and calibration difficult?
A satellite can disturb the very field its payload is meant to measure. Currents and magnetic materials on a spacecraft create magnetic contamination, so readings near the satellite may combine Earth’s field with fields produced by the vehicle itself.
NASA notes that conventional fluxgate magnetometers are widely used because they are proven and simple, but their size, weight and power can make them challenging for CubeSats. Heritage spacecraft address interference by placing sensors on booms or at different distances from the vehicle, using multiple sensors, or performing calibration maneuvers to help distinguish spacecraft-generated fields from the ambient field. Cassini’s mission documentation is one example of the broader use of spacecraft magnetic-field measurements and contamination controls.
For MagQuest, the central challenge is therefore a complete measurement system, not just a sensitive sensor. It must combine reliable sensing and absolute calibration with a small spacecraft, control of magnetic contamination, dependable boom deployment where applicable, operation in orbit and a data pipeline suitable for a global model.
Has a MagQuest satellite launched?
NGA’s March 29, 2026 release said three MagQuest CubeSats were planned for a SpaceX Falcon 9 Transporter-16 rideshare from Vandenberg Space Force Base. A MagQuest article dated March 30, 2026 described the teams as making final launch preparations near Vandenberg. Those dated releases document a planned launch and preparation, not a confirmed deployment.
The cited March 2026 official material does not report successful on-orbit operation, the quality of measurements from the satellites, or acceptance of MagQuest data into WMM production. The stated objective is to supply data for future model updates; whether the CubeSats achieve that objective is not established by those releases.
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