GMA selects Sensonor inertial engine for land navigator

A high-performance navigation system by GMA is being supported by a Sensonor inertial module. Sensonor is in serial deliveries supporting the AXD-LNS land navigator, which went into regular production in late 2016, following five years of development.

The AXD-LNS land navigator by GMA. Photo: GMA

The STIM210 provides high-accuracy inertial data for the Land Navigator, which specifically addresses the stabilization and guidance needs of the defense market — all of its components comply with the demanding standards of safety and reliability used in defense. It is intended for a wide range of applications, such as advanced navigation displays and navigation control systems in armored vehicle programs.

Because of its high-stability MEMS sensor-based architecture, the AXD-LNS equipment is easily configured for platform stabilization applications, Sensonor said. In a GPS-denied environment, the system exploits the velocity aiding with help of the high-accuracy inertial data, providing a continuous navigation solution.

The Sensonor STIM210 inertial module. Photo: GMA

STIM210 is a small, lightweight and low power, ITAR-free high-performance tactical grade gyro module with three gyros. The STIM210 is closing the performance gap to fiber-optic gyro (FOG). It is also free from International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

STIM210 is currently deployed in applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles, satellites, portable target acquisition systems, land navigation systems, turret stabilization, missile stability and navigation, and mortar aiming systems.

STIM210 has been in regular production since 2010 and is part of the STIM gyro and IMU family that has fielded more than 50,000 gyros worldwide.

NASA Supplier. Sensonor first began supplying its standard inertial measurement unit (IMU) and gyroscope modules for low-Earth orbit (LEO) space applications in 2012, beginning with the launch of the NASA-sponsored AeroCube-4 satellite.

In August 2016, Sensonor became a supplier for NASA’s current and future low- and near-Earth orbit space applications.

Sensonor’s STIM300 and STIM210 inertial products are now a standard part in many spacecraft similar to the AeroCube-4.

Current NASA projects using STIM inertial systems include the Raven technology demonstration and Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout.

Raven is testing key elements of an autonomous relative navigation system. Its technologies may one day help future robotic spacecraft autonomously and seamlessly rendezvous with other objects in motion, such as a satellite in need of fuel, or a tumbling asteroid.

The NEA Scout cube satellite is a robotic reconnaissance mission that will be deployed to fly by and return data from an asteroid representative of NEAs.

NASA, in conjunction with the Aerospace Corporation, spearheaded the use of STIM products in space, and many other commercial launch and satellite companies have since followed NASA’s lead. More than 30 companies around the world use Sensonor inertial products in various space applications, with several satellites successfully flying with STIM gyroscope modules for more than three years.

The STIM gyroscope modules are often used in combination with GPS or a star tracker and Kalman filter to orient and stabilize the satellite, as well as to provide feedback on satellite motion induced by its reaction wheels. In some applications, the gyroscopes are used to stabilize satellite-to-satellite communications.