HYDROGEN MASER IMPLEMENTATION IN THE DEEP SPACE NETWORK AT THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY

Hydrogen masers (H-masers) are the most stable frequency standards in use today within the sampling intervals (T) from 100 to 104 seconds. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) employs hydrogen maser frequency standards in a variety of fixed and mobile applications, ranging from the 64-meter Deep Space Network stations to the 9-meter Astronomical Radio Interferometric Earth Surveying (ARIES) stations. This paper describes the Frequency Standard Test Laboratory (FSTL) developed and implemented by JPL. This test laboratory has the capability to measure the frequency stability of five frequency standards including environmental parameters. Nine frequency standards may be evaluated simultaneously upon completion of the current instrumentation expansion program. Frequency stability measurements and environmental data on five H-masers are presented.