What is an atomic clock?
The clock is ticking: A technology demonstration that could change the way humans explore space is approaching. Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the Deep Space Atomic Clock is a huge upgrade from the satellite-based atomic clocks that, for example, activate the GPS on your phone. With this new technology, it could ultimately make spacecraft navigation to distant places like Mars more autonomous (self-governing).