First Results of GPS Time Transfer to Australia

John McK. Luck and John R. Woodger, James E. Wells and Peter N. Churchill, Philip A. Clements

Abstract: A GPS time transfer unit built by NBS under contract to JPL was installed at Tidbinbilla Deep Space Communications Complex of the NASA Deep Space Network in June 1983. It has been used to estimate the relationship to UTC(USNO) of the Tidbinbilla frequency and time system TID(FTS) based on a hydrogen maser, and thence to estimate the performance of the Australian free-running time scale UTC(AUS). Data from the first three months has been analysed three ways: by two-hop "common view" using JPL as intermediary "long-arc" interpolation of measurements against space vehicle clocks; 2nd by "long-arc" interpolation of' GPS-Time results. Residuals from a single quadratic fit through three months of UTC(USNO MC)- TID(FTS) results were white noise with standard error 15 ns, and a flying clock measurement gave 70 ns agreement,. A straight line fit. through results UTC(USNO MC) - UTC(AUS) gave 90 ns standard error and 120 11s agreement,. It is proposed to use the GI'S measurement to steer UTC (AUS) to UTC(BIH), and to rename the existing time scale TA(AUS).
Published in: Proceedings of the 15th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting
December 6 - 8, 1983
Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Pages: 87 - 113
Cite this article: Luck, John McK., Woodger, John R., Wells, James E., Churchill, Peter N., Clements, Philip A., "First Results of GPS Time Transfer to Australia," Proceedings of the 15th Annual Precise Time and Time Interval Systems and Applications Meeting, Washington, DC, December 1983, pp. 87-113.
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