Jointly developed by JPL and Hughes, this new gyroscope is lighter, cheaper, higher performing and less complex than its conventional counterparts while uniquely designed for continuous space operation.
Gyroscopes are necessary for flight orientation.
Spacecraft require gyroscopes to maintain orientation in flight. Gyroscopes determine changes in angular direction, traditionally by virtue of a rapidly spinning, heavy mass. Spinning mass gyroscopes, originally the gyroscopes of choice for space applications, require lubrication and eventually wear out. The resulting long life of more than 15 years is a significant plus for space applications. Current gyroscopes on a chip, only useful for some terrestrial applications, can measure rotation at just over the speed of the minute hand on a watch, but no slower, whereas the newly licensed microgyro can measure rotation 30 times slower than the hour hand.