After nearly a decade of planning and development, the first of three Rubidium Fountain Clocks arrived here Dec. 4 from the United States Naval Observatory in Washington D.C.
The USNO houses the nation’s most precise and stable time pieces for not only the Department of Defense, but for the entire world. Atomic measurements from clocks in the U.S. account for roughly 30% of the composite clock used to calculate Coordinated Universal Time.
“The relationship between the USNO and the 2nd Space Operations squadron is symbiotic,” said Lt. Col. Thomas Ste Marie, 2 SOPS commander. “USNO maintains Universal Time using a myriad composite of atomic clocks both in Washington DC and here at Schriever AFB. In fact, each GPS satellite and monitor station is a contributor to this composite clock. The GPS constellation broadcasts that time to billions of users worldwide. It’s both this technical relationship and solid organizational partnership that allows for continually
more…