DEVELOPMENT OF FLIGHT TECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE LASER-COOLED SPACE CLOCKS

In this paper we present an overview of two experiments to fly ultra-high precision atomic clock experiments aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and perform tests of general relativity theory. In particular, we address the role played by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in developing the core technologies to support these and future missions. We also give an overview of the Japanese Experiment Module External Facility (JEM-EF) platform and the challenges of performing a laser cooled atomic clock experiment in this environment.