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Deep Space Atomic Clock Mission Will Improve Navigation Technology

Wednesday, April 11, 2012 21:52
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A computer-aided design, or CAD, drawing of the linear ion trap of the clock — the “heart” of the Deep Space Atomic Clock's physics package — is slightly smaller than two rolls of quarters laid side by side. The DSAC project is a small, low-mass atomic clock based on mercury-ion trap technology that will be demonstrated in space, providing unprecedented stability needed for next-generation deep space navigation and radio science. Image credit: NASA/JPL

Precise radio navigation — using radio frequencies to determine position — is vital to the success of all deep-space exploration missions. To improve navigation technology, a small demonstration mission called the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) will fly as part of a future NASA mission in order to validate a miniaturized, ultra-precise mercury-ion atomic clock that is 100 times more stable than today’s best navigation clocks.
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Read the rest of Deep Space Atomic Clock Mission Will Improve Navigation Technology (672 words)


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