The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) Ultra-stable Oscillator (USO) has been demonstrated in nearly 50 years of space applications to be a strategic asset to the space timekeeping and signal technologies of the United States. Therefore, advancing the JHU/APL USO capability by improving its frequency stability, without diminishing reliability, is uniquely valuable to the operations of space communication and navigation systems. Ultimately, we expect that the call for expanded mission requirements involving the real-time coordination of mission assets will become commonplace in distributed space sensor systems and robotic planetary exploration. As these missions mature, the requirements for high bandwidth communication and precise navigation will call for better time and frequency control infrastructure with exceptional reliability.
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