THE DEEP SPACE ATOMIC CLOCK: USHERING IN A NEW PARADIGM FOR RADIO NAVIGATION AND SCIENCE

摘要

The Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) mission will demonstrate the on-orbitperformance of a high-accuracy, high-stability miniaturized mercury ion atomicclock during a year-long experiment in Low Earth Orbit. DSAC's timing errorrequirement provides the frequency stability necessary to perform deep spacenavigation based solely on one-way radiometric tracking data. Compared to atwo-way tracking paradigm, DSAC-enabled one-way tracking will benefit navigationand radio science by increasing the quantity and quality of trackingdata. Additionally, DSAC also enables fully-autonomous onboard navigationuseful for time-sensitive situations. The technology behind the mercury ionatomic clock and a DSAC mission overview are presented. Example deepspace applications of DSAC, including navigation of a Mars orbiter andEuropa flyby gravity science, highlight the benefits of DSAC-enabled one-wayDoppler tracking.