What are the technological advantages of MEMS gyroscopes in the satellite field compared to other sensors?

What are the technological advantages of MEMS gyroscopes in the satellite field compared to other sensors?

As a representative of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, MEMS gyroscopes play a crucial role in satellite attitude control, orbit determination, and fault monitoring. Through structural innovation and algorithmic compensation, MEMS gyroscopes have now become the ideal choice for commercial space applications and microsatellites.

Main Applications of MEMS Gyroscopes in Satellites China Professional MEMS gyroscopes provider-Hitech Sensors Tech Co., Ltd

 

Part 1: MEMS gyroscopes are primarily used in three core areas in satellites: attitude control, orbit determination, and fault monitoring.

 

1. In Attitude Control

 

MEMS gyroscopes provide angular velocity data to the control system by measuring the satellite's angular rate in real time, ensuring the correct orientation of critical satellite components. Our HTS-E3/8 high-performance MEMS gyroscope can stably output angular rate, temperature, and real-time diagnostic information in the space environment, providing reliable data for the satellite attitude control system.

 

2. In Orbit Determination

 

MEMS gyroscopes, combined with accelerometers, form an inertial measurement unit, which calculates the satellite's position and velocity information through integration. Especially in GNSS-denied environments (such as deep space exploration or Earth's shadow), MEMS gyroscopes provide short-term orbital data, ensuring that the satellite can maintain a certain accuracy even without external signals.

 

3. In Fault Monitoring

 

MEMS gyroscopes monitor parameters such as vibration and temperature during satellite launch and in-orbit operation, providing a basis for fault diagnosis and critical data for satellite health management.

Part B: MEMS Gyroscopes Used in Combination with Other Sensors

In satellite applications, MEMS gyroscopes typically need to be combined with multiple sensors to form a complete navigation and control system. Core complementary sensors include star trackers, solar radiation sensors, magnetometers, and fiber optic gyroscopes.

 

1. MEMS Gyroscope and Star Tracker Fusion

 

Star trackers are one of the most important complementary sensors for MEMS gyroscopes. Star trackers provide high-precision attitude reference by identifying star patterns, while MEMS gyroscopes provide high-frequency inertial data.  Combining the two can achieve high-precision attitude control over long periods. The star tracker + MEMS gyroscope combination system uses algorithms such as Kalman filtering to fuse the data, further improving attitude determination accuracy and meeting the precision requirements of satellite attitude control.

 

2. MEMS Gyroscope and Solar Radiation Sensor Fusion

 

Solar radiation sensors are mainly used for satellite orbit determination and attitude control. By measuring the intensity and direction of solar radiation, solar radiation sensors provide attitude information of the satellite relative to the sun.  Combining this with a MEMS gyroscope enables precise control of sun-synchronous orbit satellites. In resource satellites, the fused data from the solar radiation sensor and MEMS gyroscope is used to adjust the orientation of the solar panels to ensure maximum energy collection.

 

3. MEMS Gyroscope and Magnetometer Fusion

 

Magnetometers are an important complement to MEMS gyroscopes in magnetic field environments. By measuring the strength and direction of the Earth's magnetic field, magnetometers provide heading angle reference, and combining this with a MEMS gyroscope enables autonomous navigation on a global scale. For example, in navigation satellites, the fused data from the magnetometer and MEMS gyroscope is used to determine the satellite's absolute orientation, ensuring that the communication antenna points towards the Earth.

 

4. MEMS Gyroscope and Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) Fusion

 

Fiber optic gyroscopes have high accuracy, but accuracy and range are conflicting parameters. In situations requiring high accuracy, a longer fiber optic loop is needed, but the range is limited.  While cross-fringe technology can be used to increase the range, this technology is only suitable for continuous measurement processes. If a power outage or anomaly occurs, measurement cannot continue, and even erroneous measurements may occur. In this case, a MEMS gyroscope can be used to measure large angular velocities and correct the fiber optic gyroscope data, thus ensuring high-precision measurement over a large range.

 

Part 2. Advantages of MEMS Gyroscopes in Satellite Applications.

 

1. Miniaturization Advantage

 

MEMS gyroscopes are significantly smaller and lighter than conventional inertial navigation systems. Our HTS-E3/8 has a volume of only 46*45*25 mm and a weight of 65g. This miniaturization significantly reduces the payload volume of spacecraft and has wide applications in attitude control systems for satellites, space stations, and other spacecraft.

 

2. Low Cost Advantage

 

The low cost advantage makes MEMS gyroscopes highly competitive in commercial satellite and constellation missions.

 

3. High Reliability

 

MEMS gyroscopes utilize a solid-state structure, giving them extremely strong shock and vibration resistance, enabling reliable operation in the harsh environment of the satellite launch phase.

 

4. Environmental Adaptability

MEMS gyroscopes can operate in extreme space environments. Our HTS-E3/8 gyroscope features a unique radiation-resistant design, allowing the product to withstand high-intensity radiation at 800 kilometers, ensuring stable operation in deep space.

 

5. Easy Integration

 

MEMS gyroscopes can be seamlessly integrated with various systems. The HTS-E3/8 MEMS gyroscope supports the RS-422 communication interface, enabling time synchronization with other satellite systems (such as star trackers and sun sensors), improving the efficiency of multi-source heterogeneous data fusion. This integration significantly reduces the complexity and cost of satellite systems.

 

Part 3: MEMS IMU Recommendation.

 

The HTS-E3/8 MEMS gyroscope is a high-precision MEMS three-axis gyroscope module specifically designed for spaceborne environments. It has been successfully deployed in batches on satellites and is operating stably. The product features high precision, radiation resistance, strong batch consistency, and extensive experience in launch and on-orbit operation.

 

In satellite applications, MEMS gyroscopes will gradually evolve from auxiliary sensors to critical sensors, and even replace traditional high-precision gyroscopes in some missions. This trend will drive the overall performance improvement of satellite navigation systems while reducing system cost and complexity, providing more economical and efficient solutions for commercial satellite and constellation missions.

 

With the continuous innovation and progress of MEMS technology, we have reason to believe that MEMS gyroscopes will play an increasingly important role in satellite applications, becoming the cornerstone of future satellite autonomous navigation systems.