GPS Block IIF Rubidium Frequency Standard Life Test

F. Vannicola, R. Beard, J. White, K. Senior, A. Kubik, D. Wilson

Abstract:	Beginning in August 2008, two production PerkinElmer Rubidium Frequency Standards (RFS) built for the GPS Block IIF satellites have been under continuous test at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Precision Clock Evaluation Facility (PCEF). NRL in concert with the GPS Wing, GPS Block IIF prime contractor Boeing, and the RFS manufacturer PerkinElmer Optoelectronics, is conducting a three year life test on RFS-IIF units, serial numbers 5 and 25. The objectives of the life test are the verification of the units’ design life, reliability and the characterization of the long-term performance. The test configuration includes housing each unit in thermal vacuum chambers that maintains the environment on each unit independently and in conditions expected to be experienced on-orbit. The mounting configuration, materials, input power and thermal operation duplicates that anticipated in the Block IIF satellites. The RFS output frequency is precisely compared to the NRL Hydrogen Maser references by several redundant systems in order to minimize data loss over the life of the test. Internal monitors normally sent as telemetry are monitored and recorded with high resolution along with environmental and facility test conditions. In addition to the IIF RFS units, two Symmetricom IIF Digital Cesium Beam Frequency Standards (DCBFS) units were also tested from August 2004 to October 2006. The status and results of the IIF units under test will be presented, along with initial onorbit analysis of the first GPS IIF satellite launched in May 2010.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2010) September 21 - 24, 2010 Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon Portland, OR
Pages:	812 - 819
Cite this article:	Vannicola, F., Beard, R., White, J., Senior, K., Kubik, A., Wilson, D., "GPS Block IIF Rubidium Frequency Standard Life Test," Proceedings of the 23rd International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS 2010), Portland, OR, September 2010, pp. 812-819.
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