Northrop Grumman To Supply Space Inertial Reference Unit

SPACE SCOPES

Artist's Impression of the Herschel Space Observatory (Formerly FIRST)

Woodland Hills - Sep 23, 2003
European Space Agency (ESA) scientists will rely on a key navigational aid from Northrop Grumman Corporation's Navigations Systems Division (NSD) when it launches its Herschel Space Observatory into orbit four years from now to study how the first stars and galaxies were formed.

Dutch Space B.V. has selected NSD to provide its scalable space inertial reference unit (SIRU) for the ESA Herschel Space Observatory. This is the first time the scalable SIRU will be used on an ESA satellite. SIRUs supply velocity and angle information to the satellite attitude control system of the satellite.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Our scalable SIRU was selected for its inherent precision performance and high reliability, which is central to this type of space-based mission," said Alexis Livanos, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman NSD. "This key win will help position the company for other space-related navigation systems opportunities in the European marketplace."

Herschel is a program led by a consortium of European companies, including prime contractor Alcatel Space S.A.S., service module subcontractor Alenia Spazio S.p.A. and Dutch Space B.V., the latter being the attitude control monitoring system contractor for the program.

"This win culminates a cooperative effort with Dutch Space, ESA, Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio, leading to the successful completion of their joint technical evaluation and product assurance audit of our scalable SIRU," said Ron Tanabe, director of Space Systems at Northrop Grumman NSD. "The heart of the SIRU product line is our proprietary hemispherical resonator gyro, which has no mechanical parts to wear out."

The contract provides for two scalable SIRUs for the flight satellite and the spare satellite and an optional SIRU for a third satellite.

The Herschel Space Observatory uses an imaging space telescope with a primary mirror 3.5 meters in diameter. During its six-year mission, it will use both the full far-infrared and submillimeter bandwidths of light to determine how the first stars and galaxies formed. It is scheduled to be launched in early 2007 by an Ariane 5 launcher from Kourou, French Guyana.

The Northrop Grumman SIRU product family has logged more than three million gyro operating hours on more than 40 operating systems. The scalable SIRU is designed and space qualified for natural and deep space missions. It offers redundant three-axis continuous attitude reference for missions up to 15 years in length.

Based in Woodland Hills, Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division provides situational awareness for the defense and commercial markets. It offers integrated avionics, inertial navigation and guidance systems, satellite electronics, identification friend-or-foe systems, smart displays, fiber-optic sensors and systems and logistic support products and services.

The Navigation Systems Division is part of the company's Baltimore, Md.-based Electronic Systems sector, a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of defense and commercial electronics and systems including airborne radar, navigation systems, electronic countermeasures, precision weapons, airspace management systems, communications systems, space systems, marine and naval systems, government systems and logistics services.

SPACE SCOPES

Chandra Marks Four Years Of X-Raying The Universe

Huntsville - Sep 16, 2003
Launched in 1999, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory promised to be one of the world's most powerful tools to better understand the structure and evolution of the universe -- and it has lived up to expectations.

SPACE TRAVEL Say Goodbye To Your Mouse, Keyboard And Phone Number NASA Wants You To Be A Solar System Ambassador Bill to Restore Vision for NASA's Human Spaceflight Program Re-Introduced Lance Bass Named Youth Spokesperson For World Space Week	MARSDAILY Scientists Practice Mars Drilling Near Acidic Spanish River Early Mars Was Frozen: But Habitable Chomping Away On Martian Nano-Nuggets Surveying The Scene - Martian Style
LAUNCH PAD ILS To Launch Third HISPASAT Bird ILS To Launch SES Americom Broadband Bird Next Year Rocket Propellant Leak Occurs During Titan 4 Operation Atlas V Launches Rainbow 1 Satellite	EARTH OBSERVATION Orbimage Set To Clears Remaining Hurdle To Exit Bankruptcy Burning Oil Cloud Above Northern Iraq Satellites Sample Hurricane Ingredients To Help Forecasters INSAT Search & Rescue System Helps Save 28 Lives
OUTER PLANETS Pluto Mission May Be Early Victim Of Growing Budget Crisis Pluto Mission May Be Early Victim Of Growing Budget Crisis Pluto Mission May Be Early Victim Of Growing Budget Crisis Atlas V Chosen To Launch New Horizons Mission	STELLAR CHEMISTRY Gamma-Ray Bursts: Are We Safe? Berkeley Payload On Korean Satellite To Be Launched By Russian Sept 26 First Supernovae Quickly Seeded Universe With Stuff Of Life MIT-led Team: Dark Gamma-ray Bursts More Flighty Than Shy
MOON DAILY SMART-1: The First Spacecraft Of The Future SMART-1 ready for launch Lunar Prospecting With Chandra New UK Technology Will Make The First Global X-Ray Map Of The Moon	GPS NEWS Trimble To Acquire 3D Laser Scanning Company MENSI Trimble Unveils Mini GPS Timing Module US Air Force B-2 Bomber Drops 80 JDAMS in Historic Test Trimble Launches New Era in GPS Surveying

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement