Space Clocks - Why They're Different

Joe White, Ronald Beard

Abstract:	Atomic clocks for use in operational satellites such as GPS and MILSTAR are a breed apart from their terrestrial cousins. Like most space electronic packages, clocks will seem to be a generation behind the technology used in other applications. The reasons for this include the need for high reliability parts, radiation hardness, and mechanical design. Other key drivers in the designs include zero gravity, unattended operation, limited monitoring bandwidth, and limits on weight size and power. Clocks used in short-term space experiments can be closer in design to ground clocks, but are generally not usable for operational systems without extensive modifications.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 33th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting November 27 - 27, 2001 Hyatt Regency Long Beach Long Beach, California
Pages:	7 - 17
Cite this article:	White, Joe, Beard, Ronald, "Space Clocks - Why They're Different," Proceedings of the 33th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Long Beach, California, November 2001, pp. 7-17.
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