SpaceDev has announced that its subsidiary, Starsys, has successfully tested the low disturbance actuation system for the ground link antenna pointing gimbal for the GeoEye-1 satellite, currently being built by General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. Validation of this technology is a significant milestone in the $2.0 million contract for the design, development and qualification of the gimbal and control electronics.
The GeoEye-1 program is GeoEye's next-generation, high-resolution commercial remote-sensing satellite scheduled for launch in early 2007.
"The completion of the disturbance torque testing marks a significant milestone in the design qualification of the gimbal and control electronics," said Mark N. Sirangelo, SpaceDev Chairman and CEO. "Our Quiet Array Drive technology is enabling for spacecraft that require low disturbance torque actuation without the cost and complexity of brushless motor systems. This technology is mission-critical to our customer, General Dynamics, and we are committed to meeting their requirements and supporting a successful mission."
The Starsys antenna pointing gimbal is a unique design that greatly reduces motion imparted to the GeoEye-1 spacecraft to allow pictures to be taken while data is simultaneously transmitted to earth ground stations. Starsys' low disturbance torque technology has proven enabling to missions where the level of spacecraft jitter directly influences the quality of imagery or science of spacecraft payload instruments.
Starsys has successfully applied this technology to Solar array drive systems and antenna pointing systems as an alternative to conventional closed looped brushless DC motor servo systems, which are typically much larger, more complex and more expensive to implement.
