The new atomic pocket watch wanted by DARPA

On By Garmin Philip

Atomic clocks are ultra-precise machines. Such accuracy is necessary for GPS positioning, some scientific research, or the defense industry. And it is that modern systems, such as the Internet and others, require a level of precision that is not measured in seconds or milliseconds.

In 1949, the first atomic clock in history was built.. It was designed by Harold Lyons for the US National Institute of Standards and Technology. This type of clock is capable of measuring time in attoseconds, that is, in one trillionth of a second.

On June 24, 2019, NASA launched a new atomic clock into orbit on a Falcon Heavy. The Deep Space Atomic Clock will make the spacecraft’s navigation to distant objects in space, for example on the journey to Mars, more autonomous.

The precision in measuring the position of the spacecraft that scientists hope to obtain with it will allow ships traveling in deep space to act on their own, without much communication with Earth. However, their size makes it impossible to transport or use them on a small scale, while retaining all their advantages.

NASA has shown the most powerful telescope in the world, a tool that will allow exploring deep space in a way impossible to date. This is the James Webb, a telescope that will replace Hubble.

well now DARPA’s ROCKn program aims to make optical atomic clocks portable. The aim of the program is to study the basic physics of the optical clock principle and to find a way to make optical atomic clocks of low size, weight and power.

And not only that, but will be more precise and accurate than current atomic clocks last generation.

This would apply mainly to the defense sector. this every time is more related to cybersecurity and cyberwarfare, which makes the need for such precise clocks obvious.

Wars have always been influenced by the technological development of the moment. Now that technological innovation has invaded almost every aspect of our lives, how will it affect current and future conflicts between countries?

However, it is also necessary in conventional warfare. Modern militaries rely heavily on GPS for both navigation and time synchronization.

“If successful, these optical clocks would provide 100 times greater accuracy, or decreased timing error, over existing microwave atomic clocks, and would demonstrate nanosecond timing accuracy improvement from a few hours to a month.” “, says Tatjana Curcic, director of the DARPA program.

Reference-computerhoy.com