Shimadzu to Build Quantum Magnetometer for Mars Landers

Kyoto-based Shimadzu will develop a three-axis quantum spin magnetometer using spintronics for Mars exploration spacecraft, targeting deployment in the 2030s under a JAXA-funded project.

KYOTO — Shimadzu Corporation will develop a quantum spin magnetometer for unmanned Mars landers as part of a JAXA Space Innovation Fund project led by Science Tokyo University, with deployment planned for the 2030s.

The Kyoto precision equipment maker joins as a partner institution in the SX-CRANE research hub (formally “Environmental Sensor and Small Payload Development Hub for the Human Mars Era”), announced by JAXA on June 9. Shimadzu will build a three-axis quantum spin magnetometer using tunnel magneto resistance spintronics, a technology where magnetic orientation changes electrical resistance. Professor Mikihiko Oogane at Tohoku University is developing the underlying spintronics components.

The magnetometer is slated for the “Landing Site Evaluation Station” developed by Professor Kanako Seki’s team at the University of Tokyo Advanced Science and Technology Research Center. Beyond Mars missions, the compact sensor could support Earth-based environmental monitoring, disaster prevention, and resource surveys.

Shimadzu’s selection extends Kansai’s footprint in Japan’s crewed-Mars preparation work and positions TMR-based sensing for dual-use commercialization. The 2030s timeline aligns with JAXA’s broader Mars exploration roadmap.