Quantum Space Gravimetry Phase-A Study

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Horizon Europe (2021-2027)

Programme Description

Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-CL4-2023-SPACE-01-63

Call

Quantum Space Gravimetry Phase-A Study

Summary

The final objective of this call is the selection of a Quantum Space Gravimetry pathfinder mission. The scope of this topic covers in particular the system and operations concept of the pathfinder mission leading to a technical solution deployable before the end of the decade. A particular attention will be drawn on the analysis of the critical technologies and components necessary to deploy this mission, and proposals shall address the technological maturation necessary to meet this objective, based on EU solutions.

Detailed Call Description

The goals of the quantum space gravimetry (QSG) pathfinder mission are:

  • to consolidate the leadership of the European Union know-how in Quantum Sensing for Space and
  • to demonstrate key technologies, their viability and related performances.

Necessary for the later deployment of a full QSG mission (e.g. (e.g. Bose-Einstein condensates (BEC) technology, rotation compensation, etc.), and pave the way to future space-based applications and services enabled by its data.

The focus of the QSG pathfinder mission shall be on the operation of a complete quantum accelerometer system and the detailed characterization of its performance in space.
The results of the pathfinder mission, demonstrating the European Union capabilities and validating the technology, shall enable the development of ultra-sensitive sensors for an ambitious post-pathfinder QSG mission in the next step.

Call Total Budget

€3,00 million

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

EU Contribution: between €1,00 and €1,50 million

Thematic Categories

  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation
  • Space

Eligibility for Participation

  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions

Eligibility For Participation Notes

If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).

Participation is limited to legal entities established in Member States, Norway, Iceland and the United Kingdom.
The eligibility of entities established in the United Kingdom to participate is conditional upon the following: (i) the United Kingdom is associated to Horizon Europe, and (ii) the United Kingdom’s equivalent space calls are published and open to the EU entities on a reciprocal basis.”
For the duly justified and exceptional reasons listed in the paragraph above, in order to guarantee the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, entities established in an eligible country listed above, but which are directly or indirectly controlled by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity, may not participate in the action unless it can be demonstrated, by means of guarantees provided by their eligible country of establishment, that their participation to the action would not negatively impact the Union’s strategic, assets, interests, autonomy, or security. The guarantees shall in particular substantiate that, for the purpose of the action, measures are in place to ensure that:
a) control over the applicant legal entity is not exercised in a manner that restrains or restricts its ability to carry out the action and to deliver results, that imposes restrictions concerning its infrastructure, facilities, assets, resources, intellectual property or know-how needed for the purpose of the action, or that undermines its capabilities and standards necessary to carry out the action;
b) access by a non-eligible country or by a non-eligible country entity to to sensitive information relating to the action is prevented; and the employees or other persons involved in the action have a national security clearance issued by an eligible country, where appropriate;
c) ownership of the intellectual property arising from, and the results of, the action remain within the recipient during and after completion of the action, are not subject to control or restrictions by non-eligible countries or non-eligible country entity, and are not exported outside the eligible countries, nor is access to them from outside the eligible countries granted, without the approval of the eligible country in which the legal entity is established.

Call Opening Date

22/12/2022

Call Closing Date

28/03/2023

National Contact Point(s)

Research and Innovation Foundation

29a Andrea Michalakopoulou Street, 1075 Nicosia
T.Th. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
+357 22205000
Email: support@research.org.cy

Dr Angelos Ntantos
Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205033
Email: antantos@research.org.cy

Dr Ioannis Theodorou

Scientific Officer
Telephone: 35722205038
Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy

(Publish Date: 29/12/2022-for internal use only)

EU Contact Point

Εuropean Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation

https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact