Northrop Grumman to provide navigation system for German satellite
By Loren Blinde
August 25, 2016
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract from OHB System AG to supply the space inertial reference system for Germany’s SARah satellite-based radar reconnaissance system, the Falls Church, VA-based company announced August 22.
Northrop Grumman will supply its Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit-L (Scalable SIRU™-L) for sensor pointing/stabilization and attitude control on the SARah satellite-based radar reconnaissance system. This contract marks the first international application of the new Scalable SIRU™-L configuration.
Derived from the proven Scalable SIRU™, the Scalable SIRU™-L offers the same hardware and associated reliability of the standard model. The Scalable SIRU™-L is a highly affordable option due to its innovative calibration process that leads to a shorter delivery schedule and lower cost.
“Our Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit is renowned for its industry-leading reliability and exceptional performance on orbit and our latest configuration builds on this proud tradition,” said Dean Ebert, vice president, navigation and positioning systems business unit, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems. “We are excited to provide our allies with a cost-effective, low-risk solution that will ensure mission effectiveness throughout the entire life of the mission.”
Northrop Grumman’s Scalable SIRU™ is the industry standard for high-precision, long-life attitude control solutions supporting commercial, government and civil space missions. At the heart of the Scalable SIRU™ is Northrop Grumman’s patented hemispherical resonator gyro, which has more than 35 million operating hours in space without a mission failure.
Source: Northrop Grumman
