Expected performance of the Deep Space Atomic Clock mission

Abstract

The Deep Space Atomic Clock mission is developing a small; highly stable mercury ion atomic clock with an Allan deviation of at most 1e-14 at one day, with current estimates near 3e-15. This stability enables one-way radiometric tracking data with accuracy equivalent to or better than (under certain conditions) current two-way deep space tracking data; allowing a shift to a more efficient and flexible one-way deep space navigation architecture. The project is building a demonstration unit of the mercury ion atomic clock and the associated payload that will be used to validate the clock's performance. The payload will be launched in early-2016 into low Earth orbit as a hosted payload on the Surrey Satellite Technology's Orbital Test Bed spacecraft for a year-long demonstration mission. This study presents the preliminary estimates of the orbit and clock determination that the mission expects to achieve.