High Performance Atomic Clock (HPAC)

The High-Performance Atomic Clock (HPAC) project will design, build, and test a prototype for a space clock with the potential for defining, developing, and realizing new time scales for the Moon (Lunar Time Coordinated, or LTC), Cislunar, or Mars (Mars Time Coordinated, or MTC) and beyond.  This can form the backbone of a system to provide Earth-independent position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services at the Moon, Cislunar, and Mars and could serve as a universal solution to all future space PNT timing needs.  By locking a high-performance local oscillator to an environmentally insensitive transition in trapped mercury ions, this clock will have the short-term stability necessary for precise position determination in real time and the long-term stability needed to remain accurate over weeks/months without adjustments from earth.  Building on experience gained during the Deep Space Atomic Clock (DSAC) flight demonstration, HPAC aims to achieve an operational lifetime reaching as high as 15 years.  This will be of great benefit to establishing a PNT system on Mars, by reducing the cadence of launches required for replacement clocks from Earth.

The project addresses ESDMD gap #0104 by proving Earth-independent positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) at Moon and Mars. 

Today, spacecraft rely heavily on Earth-based atomic clocks and the Deep Space Network (DSN) for two-way tracking, a process that introduces significant delays, tens of minutes to hours depending on distance, and consumes valuable DSN resources. With the stability expected from HPAC, spacecraft can shift to one-way navigation, using onboard timing to calculate their own trajectories with far greater autonomy. This capability is critical for enabling future human missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, where crews will need near-real-time navigation support without waiting for Earth-based updates.  At Mars in particular, HPAC technology would eliminate reliance on DSN for daily trajectory updates, allowing crews and vehicles to operate safely with near-real-time navigation support despite the tens of minutes of communication delay.

In addition to supporting crewed exploration, HPAC-class technology also enhances the efficiency of the DSN by reducing its navigation workload, allowing the network to focus more on scientific data return and the growing demand from multiple simultaneous missions. The benefits extend well beyond NASA: compact, ultra-stable atomic clocks have potential applications in next-generation satellite constellations, GPS modernization, Earth science measurements, defense systems, and commercial communications. In this way, the High-Performance Atomic Clock will not only validate a revolutionary tool for deep space exploration but also will open the door to broader ground and space based technological and commercial impact.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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