Maintenance of Time and Frequency in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Deep Space Network Using the Global Positioning System

P.A. Clements, S.E. Borutzki, A. Kirs

Abstract:	The Deep Space Network (DSN), managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA, must maintain time and frequency within the specified limits in order to accurately track the spacecraft engaged in deep space exploration. The DSN has three tracking complexes, located approximately equidistantly around the Earth. Various methods are used to coordinate the clocks among the three complexes. These methods include Loran-C, TV Line 10, VLBI, and GPS. The GPS is becoming increasingly important because of the accuracy, precision, and rapid availability of the data; GPS receivers have been installed at each of the DSN complexes and are used to obtain daily time offsets between the master clock at each site and UTC (USNO/NBS). Calculations are made to obtain frequency offsets and Allan variances. These data are analyzed and used to monitor the performance of hydrogen masers that provide the reference frequencies for the DSN Frequency and Timing System (DFT). This paper contains: 1. A brief history of the the GPS timing receivers in the DSN 2. A description of the data and information flow 3. Data on the performance of the DSN master clocks and GPS measurement system 4. A description of hydrogen maser frequency steering using these data
Published in:	Proceedings of the 16th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting November 27 - 29, 1984 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland
Pages:	427 - 446
Cite this article:	Clements, P.A., Borutzki, S.E., Kirs, A., "Maintenance of Time and Frequency in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Deep Space Network Using the Global Positioning System," Proceedings of the 16th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Greenbelt, Maryland, November 1984, pp. 427-446.
Full Paper:	ION Members/Non-Members: 1 Download Credit Sign In