Fiber optic gyros in a high-performance, high-reliability inertial reference unit for commercial satellites

摘要

Honeywell Space Systems Division has successfully completed development of the Interferometric Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (IFOG) for a next-generation Inertial Reference Unit (IRU) to point commercial satellites. The design, build, and test phase of an engineering-model of this IRU, nicknamed Spirit, completed in 2011. The Spirit IRU complements the existing portfolio of Honeywell navigation products, such as the Miniature Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU), by leveraging the long life and excellent performance inherent in FOG technology. This paper provides an overview of the Spirit system along with initial results from gyro performance and life testing.