Paula Fekete, US Military Academy at West Point
George Zhang, US Military Academy at West Point
Johnathon Wilmoth, US Military Academy at West Point
Paula Fekete, Dr, US Military Academy at West Point
This study investigates the possibility of detecting of gravitational time dilation using chip-scale atomic clocks (CSACs) during high-altitude balloon flights. Leveraging the principles of general relativity, we aim to measure time differences between a CSAC at sea level and another aboard a balloon reaching altitudes of over 30,000 meters. The experiment explores practical methods to synchronize and monitor clock drift within the constraints of undergraduate research resources. While results were inconclusive due to environmental factors such as vibration and temperature variations, this work highlights the challenges of applying CSACs in field conditions and outlines improvements for future experiments. Our findings contribute to the broader understanding of the practical implementation of precision timekeeping in educational and experimental contexts.