PHARAO flight model : Integration and "on ground" performances tests

PHARAO (Projet d'Horloge Atomique par Refroidissement d'Atomes en Orbite), which is being developed by the French space agency CNES, is the first primary frequency standard specially designed for operation in space. PHARAO is the main instrument of the ESA mission ACES (Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space) [1]. ACES payload will be installed on-board the International Space Station to perform fundamental physics experiments. Last year [2], some results on two flight model (FM) sub-systems have been presented: Microwave Source performances and Cesium Tube operating as a cold atom clock by using the other engineering model sub-systems. All the FM sub-systems have now passed the qualification process and the whole FM of the cold cesium clock, PHARAO, has been assembled and will undergo extensive tests during the first semester of 2014. The results on the cold atoms manipulation and the metrological evaluation are presented.