Super accurate atomic clocks for Galileo

GPS and GNSS

During the Farnborough Airshow, a contract was signed for the provision of the Passive Hydrogen MASER (PHM) atomic clocks that will provide an essential timekeeper reference for the navigation payloads that SSTL is building for the Galileo navigation system, a programme of and funded by the European Union.

Contract signing
Contract signing
The PHM atomic clocks will be provided by SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica Company, for installation on each of the 14 satellites in the Galileo system, under a contract of more than 30m Euros.

PHM atomic clock
PHM atomic clock
The Passive Hydrogen MASER is the most stable clock ever produced for space applications with a frequency stability better than 10-14 day, and is currently demonstrating outstanding performance on board the Galileo GIOVE-B satellite. It is used as reference timekeeper to measure distance and positions in navigation systems. Its stability is better than 0,00000036 seconds in one year, equivalent to 1 second every 3 million years.

Timing is fundamental to Galileo and is essential for all services. It is best illustrated in positioning calculations, where a timing deviation of 1ns could result in a positioning error of 30cm on Earth.



This document has been produced under funding of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union and/or ESA.” The OHB/SSTL project is funded by, and part of, the Galileo programme which is an initiative by the European Union (EU), and where the European Space Agency (ESA) acts in the name of, and on behalf of, the EU. "Galileo" is a trademark subject to OHIM application number 002742237 by EU and ESA.

This entry was posted by Robin Wolstenholme on Wednesday, August 4. 2010 at 14:36. and is filed under GPS and GNSS. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own blog. All new comments are subject to moderation before being displayed.
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