Why NASA scientists have their sights set on the atomic clock : Brief Wave : NPR

In 1714, the Crown of England ran a contest — in search of a more accurate clock that sailors could use to navigate while at sea. Today, scientists face a similar problem, but in outer space.

Peter Dazeley/Getty Photographs

Each single day, people depend on lots of of hidden clocks.

GPS location, Web stability, inventory buying and selling, energy grid administration … all depend on atomic clocks with a view to work. A lot of these clocks are in orbit, perched on satellites orbiting Earth.

Over time, temperatures swings, energy provide and the velocity at which the clock is shifting can set these clocks very barely out of sync. This phenomenon is named “clock drift.” To manage for it, GPS clocks are set to verify the time and proper themselves commonly.

However in outer area, crucial features like communication and navigation require even larger clock accuracy, right down to a billionth of a second — or extra. That is why atomic physicists at NASA wish to construct a extra exact, extra autonomous atomic clock.

The workforce hopes a prototype might be prepared by late 2025.

For extra about Holly’s Optical Atomic Strontium Ion Clock, take a look at the OASIC project on NASA’s website.
For extra in regards to the Longitude Downside, take a look at Dava Sobel’s guide, Longitude.

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This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez. Tyler Jones checked the information. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer.

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