NASA developing 1st-ever space-based quantum sensor for gravity measurements

A map of Earth’s gravity. Red indicates areas of the world that exert greater gravitational pull, while blue indicates areas that exert less. A science-grade quantum gravity gradiometer could one day make maps like this with unprecedented accuracy. .

Scientists are developing an advanced quantum sensor for low Earth orbit that can detect the tiniest tremors in Earth's gravity.

These barely perceptible shifts — caused by moving water, tectonic activity or shifting rock — offer clues about what lies beneath the planet's surface.