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HONEYWELL / NORTHROP GRUMMAN
Ring Laser Gyroscope
Inertial SensorRing Laser Gyroscope● Active
MASS
1.2 kg
POWER
15 W
REDUNDANCY
Typically triaxial (3 units per IMU)
RAD HARDENED
Varies by application
FIRST USE
Jan 1978
Ring Laser Gyroscope is a inertial sensor system manufactured by Honeywell / Northrop Grumman. It features typically triaxial (3 units per imu) redundancy.
ABOUT RING LASER GYROSCOPE
The ring laser gyroscope (RLG) uses the Sagnac effect in a closed optical path to measure angular rotation with extreme precision. Two counter-propagating laser beams create an interference pattern that shifts proportionally to rotation rate. RLGs have been the standard IMU sensor for launch vehicles since the 1980s.
OPERATING PRINCIPLE
Sagnac effect: counter-propagating laser beams in a closed triangular or square cavity produce fringe shift proportional to rotation
VEHICLES USING THIS SYSTEM
Atlas VDelta IVAriane 5Boeing 777Various launch vehicles
SPECIFICATIONS
| CATEGORY | Inertial Sensor |
| TYPE | Ring Laser Gyroscope |
| MANUFACTURER | Honeywell / Northrop Grumman |
| MASS | 1.2 kg |
| POWER CONSUMPTION | 15 W |
| REDUNDANCY | Typically triaxial (3 units per IMU) |
| RADIATION HARDENED | Varies by application |
| ACCURACY | 0.003 deg/hr |
| FIRST USE | January 1, 1978 |
| STATUS | Active |
DETAILED SPECS
| BIAS_STABILITY | 0.003 deg/hr |
| SCALE_FACTOR | < 5 ppm |
| BANDWIDTH_HZ | 500 |
| NO_MOVING_PARTS | Yes |
