Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space

In the Primary Atomic Reference Clock in Space or PARCS short it is an atomic clock project, which in addition to the projects SUMO, RACE and ACES, on the International Space Station (ISS) should be carried out in 2008 but canceled.

Should be used a laser- cooled atomic clock and a time transfer system, which relies on the GPS satellites. PARCS is parallel to the superconducting microwave oscillator SUMO operated to perform comparisons over time and look for tiny deviations from the predictions of general relativity.

Project objectives

• Tests on the theory of gravitation
• Research on laser-cooled atoms
• Improve the accuracy of time measurement on Earth

Project Location

The project should be carried out on an additional unit of the Japanese Experiment Module ( JEM) on the ISS. The site requires a good visibility of the constellation of GPS satellites, so that the comparison between the space and ground clock can be performed. In addition, the volume, the available power and the refrigerant meet the project requirements.

Institutions and Human

PARCS is a joint project of the following organizations:

• Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL ), development of the aircraft
• National Institute of Standards and Technology ( NIST), concept development and testing
• University of Colorado, elaboration of gravity tests to be performed

Contributor

• Bill Klipstein, Dave Seidel and John Dick from JPL
• Don Sullivan and Bill Phillips from NIST
• Neil Ashby of the University of Colorado
• John Lipa from Stanford University