Investigation of onboard quantum time scale for orbital flight of a space radio telescope (the RadioAstron project)

Abstract

Results of observing the operation of instrumentation of the ground-space complex of the Radio-Astron project during space flight conditions of the radio observatory are presented. The technology of quality evaluation of the data received from the space radio telescope (SRT) is considered. The dependence of readings of the onboard frame counter on SRT radial velocity and distance is determined. Technology of constructing a model of the ground-space atomic clocks and onboard quantum time scale based on the results of radio astronomic observations is tested. The method of measurement of the coherent cumulative navigation delay using the onboard quantum time scale is considered. The results of observation of the effect of relativistic and kinematic time dilation onboard the SRT are presented.