Isro develops desi atomic clock, to be used in navigation satellites

印度空间研究组织成功研发原子钟，拟用于卫星导航

Surendra Singh| TNN | Updated: May 7, 2018, 01:03 IST

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has developed an atomic clock that will be used in navigation satellites to measure precise location data. The space agency currently imports atomic clocks from European aerospace manufacturer Astrium for its navigation satellites.

新德里：印度空间研究组织（ISRO）取得重大进展，成功研制出一种原子钟，可用于导航卫星精确测量位置数据。太空总署目前的导航卫星中所使用的是从欧洲航天制造商阿斯特里姆进口的原子钟。

Tapan Misra, director of Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC), said, “SAC has developed an indigenous atomic clock and this clock is currently undergoing a series of qualification tests. Once it successfully clears all tests, the desi atomic clock will be used in an experimental navigation satellite to test its accuracy and durability in space.”

总部位于艾哈迈达巴德的空间应用中心（SAC）负责人Tapan Misra表示，“SAC已经研制出了一种本地原子钟，目前正在进行一系列的测试。一旦成功通过所有测试，desi原子钟将被用于卫星导航实验，以测试其在太空中的准确性和耐用性。”

The SAC director said, “With the development of the desi atomic clock, Isro has become one of the few space organisations in the world which have gained the capability to develop this highly sophisticated technology. We don't know the design and technology of the imported atomic clock. But the desi clock has been developed based on our designs and specifications. This clock is as good as the imported one. We are hopeful that it will easily work for more than five years.”

SAC负责人表示：“随着desi原子钟的发展，印度太空研究组织已经成为世界上为数不多能够开发这一尖端技术能力的空间组织之一。我们不知道进口原子钟的设计和技术。但是desi原子钟是根据我们的设计和规格而开发的。这个钟和进口的一样好。我们希望它的使用寿命为五年以上。”

All seven navigation satellites launched earlier as part of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) or NaVIC have three imported Rubdium atomic clocks each.

作为印度区域导航卫星系统(IRNSS)或NaVIC 导航定位系统的一部分，先前发射的所有七颗导航卫星中，每颗卫星都有三个进口的铷原子钟。

On functioning of these atomic clocks, Tapan Misra said, “Atomic clocks in all the seven satellites launched earlier are synchronised. The time difference between the atomic clocks of different satellites positioned at different orbits are used to measure the accurate positioning of a navigation receiver or an object on the Earth.

关于这些原子钟的功能，Tapan Misra表示，“所有早期发射的7颗卫星中的原子钟都是同步的。不同卫星的原子钟在不同轨道上的时间差异，用来测量导航接收器或地球上的物体的精确定位。”

If an atomic clock malfunctions, the time difference calculated between it and other clocks is not accurate which, in turn, gives inaccurate positioning of an object. Besides atomic clocks, a navigation satellite also has crystal clocks but they are not accurate as atomic clocks. Therefore, if three atomic clocks of a satellite show error, we need to launch a back-up satellite with new atomic clocks."

如果其中一个原子钟发生故障，则它和其他时钟之间的时间差是不准确的，从而无法提供物体的准确定位。除了原子钟之外，导航卫星还有晶体钟，不像原子钟那样精确。因此，如果一颗卫星的三个原子钟出错，我们就需要发射一个带有新原子钟的备用卫星。

According to a reliable source in Isro, nine of the 21 atomic clocks used in some of the seven navigation satellites launched are showing error. Isro is, therefore, planning to launch four backup navigation satellites to keep the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NaVIC) effective. These backup satellites, which are likely to have indigenous atomic clocks too, will add buffer to the desi GPS system. “Isro will first need financial clearance from the government for the backup satellites,” says the source.

据ISRO的可靠消息来源称，先前所发射的7颗导航卫星的21个原子钟中，共有9个原子钟显示误差。因此，ISRO计划发射4颗备用导航卫星，以保证印度导航系统的有效性。这些备用卫星很可能使用印度的原子钟，为DESI GPS系统T提供缓冲。消息人士表示“ISRO首先需要政府财务批准备用卫星”。

Last month on April 12, Isro successfully launched navsat IRNSS-1I to replace India's first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A, whose three atomic clocks had stopped working two years ago. IRNSS-1I thus completed the constellation of seven functional navsats needed in space to keep the NaVIC operational.

4月12日，ISRO成功地发射了navsat IRNSS-1I卫星，以取代印度第一颗导航卫星IRNSS-1A，该卫星的三个原子钟在两年前停止工作。因此，IRNSS-1I完成了太空所需的七个功能导航卫星，以保证导航系统的正常运行。

Tapan Misra said, "Atomic clocks have sophisticated technology. They could stop working because of different reasons. It's not only Indian navigation satellites, but atomic clocks in satellites of Galileo (European Union's navigation satellite system) had also failed earlier."

Tapan Misra表示，“原子钟技术复杂尖端，可能因不同的原因停止运转。不仅仅是印度的导航卫星，伽利略卫星（欧盟卫星导航系统）上的原子钟也曾失灵过。

NAVIC was approved by the government nearly 12 years ago at a cost of Rs 1,420 crore to establish an indigenous satellite based navigation system to provide position, navigation and timing services over the Indian landmass and surrounding region extending up to 1,500 km. Though the indigenous navigation system is very much operational, it is not as popular as the American GPS in the country because the receiver and mobile chipset needed to access the desi system have not been commercialised.

大约12年前，政府批准了耗资142亿卢比的NAVIC项目，以建立一套自主的卫星导航系统，为印度陆地和周边地区1500公里范围内提供定位、导航和定时服务。尽管自主导航系统的运作非常灵活，但它并不像美国的GPS那样受欢迎，因为接入desi系统所需的接收器和移动芯片组尚未商业化。

印度时报读者的评论：

Gautam Kumar

65

Gautam Kumar-Jalandhar-10 hours ago

Great achievement from ISRO..It never fails to make us feel proud.

ISRO，赞赞赞。。。一直为你们感到骄傲。。从来没让我们失望过

Sridhar

4062

sridhar-Hyderabad-10 hours ago

just Because of Modi . . .

多亏了莫迪。。。

20 Jum Indians jum Indians-USA-4 hours ago

Jubilant Indians should Google about ''s cold atomic clock, the world''s most accurate, made in and used in ''s Beidu system, too see how far India is behind , before jum up and down and praising their Modi here.

兴高采烈的印度人可以去网上搜索的冷原子钟，这是世界上最准确的，制造而且使用的北斗系统。上蹿下跳地歌颂莫迪之前，先看看印度比落后多少。