Optical Clock Tested in Space for the First Time:

        Although many people do not think about it, a GPS uses physics to find a location and a timestamp. A GPS uses microwave frequencies to transfer times stamps from on location to another. A GPS system does this by sending these frequencies through, typically, 4 different satellites till it gets to your phone or device. When the GPS finds timestamps it allows for  the GPS to know where you are in relation to the location you desire to go to and creates route and directions on how to get there.
     To create a more accurate timestamp and quicker way to find locations researchers tested a optical clock in space which can retrieve information much faster than microwave frequencies. This test was successful for the first time after several attempts. This test flew the optical clock into the space and took about 6 minutes. Now that the test has been completed researches are already working on creating and more efficient and accurate GPS system.


Below: image of the optical clock being flown into space:


     New advances on this current subject state that researchers plan test an updated optical clock in 2017 to make even more improvements to the GPS system!

Lily Poor
Period: G
November 22, 2016