With the support and cooperation of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA), the "Rb Atomic Frequency Standard Development Project" (RAFS), one of the most important subsystems of the "Regional Positioning and Timing System (BKZS)", which is among the strategic goals of the National Space Program, was initiated under the leadership of TÜBİTAK National Metrology Institute (UME).
In particular, the inaugural meeting of the project, which was initiated with the aim of developing a navigation system independent of Global Positioning Systems within the scope of indigenization of critical sub-components in line with the understanding of producing national and domestic alternatives in the space industry, was hosted by TÜBİTAK UME on June 19, 2023.
Speaking at the meeting, Serdar Hüseyin YILDIRIM, President of the Turkish Space Agency, stated that they have been behind the Rubidium Based Atomic Clock, which was previously developed by TÜBİTAK UME in the laboratory environment, by reducing it to the size of a cube satellite, to be used as a payload in a 6U cube satellite and to gain space history, and that they have been behind the project since the first process and will continue to support it to finalize it as soon as possible.
Emphasizing that this project is a start, a first step, Agency President YILDIRIM underlined that their support will continue in terms of developing space capability and increasing its areas of use.
TÜBİTAK UME Acting Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa ÇETİNTAŞ, who made a technical presentation about the details of the project, expressed their pride in being a part of a project that will work passionately for the goal of "Turkey's Century", which makes people proud even as they say it, and said, "We are confident that the project we have started in line with the National Technology Move will be an important milestone on the way to becoming a regional power."
What is the Regional Positioning and Timing System?
Global Positioning and Timing Systems (GNSS) consist of a cluster of satellites with an average of 4 atomic frequency standards. Developed countries can also build their own GNSS systems and independently meet their needs for precise positioning. Unlike communication satellites, GNSS satellites send very precise time and position information to the world.
The only way to maintain precise time in orbit is to use an atomic frequency standard within the satellite. One of the most critical goals of the National Space Program is the establishment of a Regional Positioning System. The aim of the RAFS project is to redesign the desktop Rubidium Frequency Standard, which was developed by TÜBİTAK UME with its own resources, by making it suitable for the dimensions of the CubeSat, to place it in a 6U cube satellite to be produced together with the project stakeholders and to make it ready for launch.
With the launch cooperation provided by TUA, the satellite will be launched and the orbital performance of the Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard will be monitored for at least one year and the frequency stability of the atomic clock will be tested. In this way, the standard will be given a history and a major stage will be passed for the full space-qualified standards that must be developed for the Regional Positioning System.
The project, which is planned to be developed for 36 months, will also offer young people who want to work in this field the opportunity to develop.
The project, which continues with technical meetings following the opening meeting, will make significant contributions to designing indigenous systems in the civilian and military fields in order for our country to have this technology and to reinforce our technological independence.
