Overview
The study has been conducted in the period March 2023 - October 2023 by a consortium led by Forschungszentrum Jülich, with Thales Alenia Space Italy/France, INFN and IQM, and supported by the European Space Agency.
Earth Observation (EO) satellites generate a growing amount of data every year and highlight the need for scalable algorithms and adequate computational resources. However, the question about how to leverage quantum computing for enhancing the required computational steps is still largely unanswered. The QC4EO study proposes insightful answers and potential solutions to this question. The scope of the study covers 12 use cases and a 15-year timeframe, evaluating a potential practical advantage of quantum computing in specific computational tasks and the availability of the required hardware in the near future.
This study culminated in the release of four technical deliverables and an executive summary, each encompassing a detailed analysis of four selected use cases, i.e., mission planning for EO acquisitions, multiple-view geometry on optical images, optical satellite data analysis, and SAR raw data processing. The use cases have been selected according to their impact for the space industry and their compatibility with the expected development of quantum computing devices in the considered timeframe. For each use case, a relevant quantum algorithm is selected, a realistic problem instance is defined, and a timeline is proposed, mapping the problem size with quantum hardware requirements. Superconducting qubits and ion-traps are considered the most promising quantum computing technologies. The QC4EO study concludes that executing experiments on real hardware is expected to be possible for a reasonable problem size in the near future, providing practical insights on the theoretical advantage of the designed quantum algorithms.