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Past, present and future of atomic clocks for GNSS

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Abstract

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are enabled by atomic clocks, which provide the timing precision and accuracy required for the ranging measurements. Significant investments have been made and will continue to be made, to improve GNSS atomic clock technology and reduce the signal-in-space user range error. After providing a baseline by reviewing current GNSS satellite atomic clock technology, we discuss how far, and in what directions, atomic clock technology should be pushed to provide maximum benefits to GNSS performance, reliability and cost.

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source and getter pump. The vacuum envelope contains a buffer gas (helium or neon) at a very low pressure and 199Hg vapor

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  1. Physical Sciences Laboratories, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA, USA

    Bernardo Jaduszliwer & James Camparo

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  1. Bernardo Jaduszliwer
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Correspondence to James Camparo.

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Jaduszliwer, B., Camparo, J. Past, present and future of atomic clocks for GNSS. GPS Solut 25, 27 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10291-020-01059-x

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