Photo: Sean Redington/Boeing
Boeing has completed what is believed to be the first recorded flight test of multiple quantum sensors, demonstrating an aircraft’s ability to navigate without GPS for four hours. The test, conducted in 2024, marked the first known operation of quantum...
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Boeing has completed what is believed to be the first recorded flight test of multiple quantum sensors, demonstrating an aircraft’s ability to navigate without GPS for four hours. The test, conducted in 2024, marked the first known operation of quantum sensors on an aircraft during flight, generating real-time navigation data necessary for future applications of the technology.
The flight test involved a six-axis quantum inertial measurement unit (IMU), integrated into a full inertial navigation system and deployed on a Beechcraft 1900D. Unlike conventional IMUs, the quantum IMU is designed to provide greater accuracy, reducing navigation errors from tens of kilometres to within tens of metres over long flights. Boeing engineers incorporated additional sensors and hardware to ensure reliable performance, resulting in what is described as the first quantum-enabled navigation system of its kind.
The test, conducted from St. Louis, confirmed that the quantum sensors functioned effectively during takeoff, landing, and various manoeuvres. “Boeing is leading the development of quantum technology that will help improve flight safety,” said Ken Li, Boeing Principal Senior Technical Fellow and principal investigator for quantum navigation. The company collaborated with California-based AOSense to design and build the quantum IMU. “We designed our quantum IMU for robust operation in harsh environments, and we are pleased to confirm that during the flight test the sensor performed along all input axes much as we predicted,” said AOSense president Brenton Young.
The IMU relies on atom interferometry to measure rotation and acceleration using atoms, allowing for navigation without GPS. It consists of three quantum inertial sensors that track the aircraft’s movement from its initial position. Boeing and AOSense engineers worked over 15 months to develop the system from three single-axis sensors in a laboratory setting to a fully operational quantum IMU in flight, with multiple tests conducted in laboratory, ground vehicle, and flight environments. “Such rapid advancements indicate great promise for quantum sensors to be part of the next generation of navigation sensors,” said Jay Lowell, Boeing Principal Senior Technical Fellow and quantum technology research manager.
The flights also tested Boeing’s All Source Positioning, Navigation and Timing (ASPNT) software, which integrates data from various GPS-denied navigation technologies, including vision-based, terrain-referenced, and gravity-anomaly-referenced navigation. Two additional sensors were tested: AQNav, a quantum navigation system developed by SandboxAQ, and a star tracker co-developed by Boeing and HRL Laboratories. The star tracker, equipped with shortwave infrared (SWIR) technology, provided precise attitude and position references, while AQNav utilised the Earth’s magnetic field to reduce navigation drift. “Rapid advances were greatly accelerated thanks to Boeing’s collaborative approach and their exceptional ability to integrate with SandboxAQ,” said AQNav senior hardware engineer Eddie Rodriguez.
Boeing plans further laboratory tests to examine the quantum IMU’s performance under different environmental conditions, such as temperature and vibration. The results will inform improvements in the system’s robustness and reliability.
Original story by Mychaela Kekeris, Boeing Writer.
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