Mission and History

The Mission of the FTAA

The mission of the Federal Temporal Anomaly Authority is defined in the FTAA Authorization Act of 1967 as follows:

The Federal Temporal Anomaly Authority studies, monitors, and assists in responding to paradoxes to protect and defend the interests of the American people. The FTAA cooperates with partners to develop understanding of other eras and defend the current temporal era.

Major Events in the History of the FTAA

• 1967 - Congress authorizes the FTAA to be formed in a multi-agency cooperating agreement between National Bureau of Standards (now NIST), the Atomic Energy Commission, the Department of Defense, and the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (now Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory). The first FTAA offices are established on the campus of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in California.


• 1971 - National Bureau of Standards establishes an East Coast research hub on their Gaithersburg, MD campus. President Richard M. Nixon attends the groundbreaking of the main research facility building. This facility eventually becomes known as the National Chronographic Laboratory and Research Center (CLARC).


• 1983 - In a strengthened partnership with Department of Defense, the National Bureau of Standards moves the CLARC from the Gaithersburg campus to the U.S. Army installation at Fort Ritchie, Maryland. This provides additional resources and access for historians and scientists employed by the FTAA.


• 1986 - President Ronald Reagan further tasks FTAA (in cooperation with partner organizations) with monitoring research and development of temporal technologies by international actors, as well as developing technology to extend the sphere of influence of the American people beyond the current temporal era. This strengthening of the mission supports protecting and defending temporal stability and American interests.


• 1988 - FTAA opens first cross-temporal diplomatic relationship, establishing the United States' first temporal embassy. Over the following three years, two more temporal embassies are established.


• 1992 - Rogue reverse temporal incursion event in Mid-Atlantic region creates greater awareness of the FTAA's work and leads to major alterations in FTAA operating policies and proceedures. The Office of Public Communication opens new office and visitor center in Emmitsburg, MD to help educate the public on the work of the FTAA.

Current FTAA Facilities

• National Chronographic Laboratory and Research Center (CLARC) - Fort Ritchie, MD
  Home of core operations and research activities for the agency, including anomaly detection and correction, technical systems controls, and general historical research activies. Also serves as the home of the FTAA's caesium beam clock, sister unit and backup for the NIST-7 clock in Boulder, Colorado. This clock achieves an uncertainty of 5 x 10-15, or 20 times more accurate than previous models.


• NIST Campus Satellite Research Center - Gaithersburg, MD
  Located in the original historic home of the agency, the FTAA's research center on the NIST campus serves as a shared and cooperative working space for joint operations with a variety of federal and non-federal partners.


• Western Chronographic Laboratory - Livermore, CA
  In cooperation with the University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the FTAA maintains a west coast research incubator to help further methods and practices both in the technological systems surrounding temporal investigation but also historical research.


• Main FTAA Headquarters - Herbert C. Hoover Building, Washington, D.C.
  Location of the agency's senior leadership and central service offices, including shared services with Department of Commerce.


• FTAA Visitor Center - 317 South Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD
  Located on the campus of Saint Joseph College, this facility serves as the public face of the agency, hosting exhibits on agency activities, the history of temporal technologies, and information for interested parties. This also serves as the FTAA's press office.

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Last Updated: November 10, 1993
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