The Deep Space Atomic Clock removes this problem by confining atoms electromagnetically in a so-called ‘trapped ion’ design. Over time, however, the collisions of atoms with the wall of the box affect the clock’s stability. Launched into orbit in 2019, it’s a little different to other atomic clocks, which rely on measuring atoms confined in a box, with the vibrations of the atoms acting a little like the pendulum in a grandfather clock. NASA’s answer to this problem is the Deep Space Atomic Clock. Such clocks need to be accurate to within a few billionths of a second, and super stable (meaning their measurement of a given unit of time can’t change). Having an accurate onboard atomic clock would allow a spacecraft to calculate its own speed and position, making it much quicker and easier to navigate to Mars and beyond. Ultra-precise atomic clocks on the ground measure the time taken for the signals to bounce back and, knowing the signals travel at the speed of light, astronomers can calculate the spacecraft’s position, how fast it’s travelling, and how to adjust its course.īut the further a spacecraft is from Earth, the longer the signals take to travel. The study, published in Nature, found that the clock’s short and long-term stability were both up to 10 times better than other current clocks, bringing us one step closer to one-way navigation in deep space.Įarth dwellers can usually count on GPS to find our way, but spacecraft flying beyond our planet don’t have that luxury – they currently need to receive navigation signals from Earth and then ping them back. This new research, led by Eric Burt from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US, reports the findings from the clock’s first year in orbit around the Earth, where the team tested the clock’s reaction to the extreme environment of space. One of the hosted payloads is NASA's DSAC (Deep Space Atomic Clock), a technology demonstration mission with the goal to validate a miniaturized, ultra-precise mercury-ion atomic clock that is 100 times more stable than today’s best navigation clocks.Īlso on board is a small capsule with cremated human remains for Celestis, called "Heritage Flight".Ī second mission called OTB 2 is planned for 2022.The future of space navigation is almost here – NASA scientists have reported that its Deep Space Atomic Clock is up to 10 times more accurate than any other atomic-clock designs. OTB 1 is based on the SSTL-150 bus and The mission is planned to last five years. In 2017, the asstes of SSTL-US, including the OTB-1 mission, were acquired by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS). This OTB ( Orbital Test Bed) satellite provides the opportunity for Hosted Payload customers to benefit from reliable, low-risk access to orbit, to rapidly and cost-effectively space-qualify new technology, gain flight heritage, acquire mission experience, generate in-orbit data and provide mission continuity capability, without the need to procure a costly dedicated launch. Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) plans to fly a dedicated satellite for hosted payloads in 2015. OTB-1 ( Orbital Test Bed 1) is a small satellite operated by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Group (GA-EMS) to host several experiments from different customers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |