Significant technical considerations prompted the start of an evolution, twenty years ago, from the use of the floated, rate- integrating gyro to the dynamically tuned gyro (DTG) for the precision, three-axis attitude control of spacecraft. DTG's have since then been widely applied in U.S. spacecraft. The anticipated advent of smaller, lower cost spacecraft prompted the development of a new generation, lower cost, low weight (3.6 lb/1.8 kg), moderate performance inertial reference unit (IRU) for such applications by making use of the miniature CONEX DTG. The resulting two-axis rate assembly has already been qualified and delivered to two programs. In parallel, development of a miniature, three-axis ring laser gyro has proceeded to the point where an inertial measurement unit has entered the early phase of production for a tactical missile program. Simple modification of the hardware will provide a production-based IRU or IMU design at a cost advantage for spacecraft applications.
Inertial reference unit design for small spacecraft
Acquisition, Tracking, and Pointing VIII ; 1994 ; Orlando,FL,United States
Proc. SPIE ; 2221
1994-07-05
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Inertial Reference Unit Design for Small Spacecraft
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
|Inertial Reference Unit Design for Small Spacecraft
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
|Inertial Reference Unit Design for Small Spacecraft (AAS 94-017)
British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
|NTRS | 1972
|NTRS | 1973
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