Master Clock and Time-Signal-Distribution System

A timing system comprising an electronic master clock and a subsystem for distributing time signals from the master clock to end users is undergoing development to satisfy anticipated timing requirements of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) for the next 20 to 30 years. The developmental system is intended to supplant the aging DSN frequency and timing subsystem (FTS), which, while historically reliable, is complex, has limited distribution capacity and has become increasingly difficult to operate and sustain. This system has a modular, flexible, expandable architecture that is easier to operate and maintain than the present FTS. Replicas of this system could be useful in laboratories and other facilities in which there are stringent timing requirements that could include requirements to distribute precise time signals over long distances.