Quantum sensors show high sensitivity and allow precision measurements for fundamental physics experiments and applications (Tino and Kasevich 2014). This will in turn pave the way for a fully fledged quantum space gravimetry mission by the end of the next decade. Europe is at the forefront of quantum technologies, and a call has been issued (HORIZON-CL4-2021-SPACE-01-62: Quantum technologies for space gravimetry) aiming at the development of EU technologies and components for a space quantum gravimeter or gradiometer, as a first step towards the deployment within this decade of a gravimeter pathfinder mission based on cold atom interferometry. These technologies promise to offer higher sensitivity and drift-free measurements, and higher absolute accuracy for terrestrial surveys as well as space missions, thus giving direct access to more precise long-term measurements and comparisons. Since classical sensors have reached a high level of maturity with a limited potential for further improvement, a large interest has developed in novel technologies based on quantum sensing (Carraz et al. 2003), the gravity field is fundamental in studies regarding Cryosphere, Ocean and Solid Earth. In fact, considering the five macro-areas of the Scientific Challenges of the ESA Living Planet Program (Drinkwater et al. Remote sensing of the changes of the Earth gravitational field provides basic data on, e.g., geodynamics, earthquakes, hydrology or ice sheets changes. In fact, monitoring global parameters underlying climate change, water resources, flooding, melting of ice masses and the corresponding global sea level rise is of paramount importance (Pail 2015a). In particular, studies and results from the last two missions fostered the building of a well-organized science user community tracking the Earth mass movement to study environmental changes on a global scale using data from satellite gravity measurements. 2020) have successfully demonstrated their capability to deliver high-resolution and high-accuracy global models of the Earth gravity field (GOCE) and of its temporal variations (GRACE and GRACE-FO). 2011), GRACE (Tapley and Reigber 2001 Kvas et al. In the past twenty years, space missions like GOCE (Drinkwater et al. In this paper, the proposed payload, mission profile and preliminary platform design are presented, with end-to-end simulation results and assessment of the impact on geophysical applications. The main outcomes are the definition of the accuracy level to be expected from this payload and the accuracy level needed to detect and monitor phenomena identified in the Scientific Challenges of the ESA Living Planet Program, in particular Cryosphere, Ocean and Solid Earth. Looking at a time frame beyond the present decade, in the MOCAST+ study (MOnitoring mass variations by Cold Atom Sensors and Time measures) a satellite mission based on an “enhanced” quantum payload is proposed, with cold atom interferometers acting as gravity gradiometers, and atomic clocks for optical frequency measurements, providing observations of differences of the gravitational potential. Recently, a large interest has developed in novel technologies and quantum sensing, which promise higher sensitivity, drift-free measurements, and higher absolute accuracy for both terrestrial surveys and space missions, giving direct access to more precise long-term measurements. geodynamics, earthquakes, hydrology or ice sheets changes. In particular, the possibility to study the evolution in time of Earth masses allows us to monitor global parameters underlying climate changes, water resources, flooding, melting of ice masses and the corresponding global sea level rise, all of which are of paramount importance, providing basic data on, e.g. In the past twenty years, satellite gravimetry missions have successfully provided data for the determination of the Earth static gravity field (GOCE) and its temporal variations (GRACE and GRACE-FO).
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