Quantum GPS could help future pilots navigate LightField Studios Inc./Alamy
A quantum magnetic navigation system has been tested to guide an aircraft – and it outperformed standard backup systems that planes rely on when GPS signals are jammed.
GPS and other global navigation satellite systems use radio signals transmitted between space and Earth. But these radio waves are relatively weak and are vulnerable to intentional jamming, as we saw in 2024 when GPS jamming and spoofing affected transatlantic flights. Now, GPS backup systems are becoming increasingly important as planes face navigational challenges.
Article amended on 21 April 2025
We clarified that Q-CTRL is a quantum company and its MagNav system is called Ironstone Opal
