The following sections of this BookRags Literature Study Guide is offprint from Gale's For Students Series: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Works: Introduction, Author Biography, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes, Style, Historical Context, Critical Overview, Criticism and Critical Essays, Media Adaptations, Topics for Further Study, Compare & Contrast, What Do I Read Next?, For Further Study, and Sources.
(c)1998-2002; (c)2002 by Gale. Gale is an imprint of The Gale Group, Inc., a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Gale and Design and Thomson Learning are trademarks used herein under license.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Encyclopedia of Popular Fiction: "Social Concerns", "Thematic Overview", "Techniques", "Literary Precedents", "Key Questions", "Related Titles", "Adaptations", "Related Web Sites". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
The following sections, if they exist, are offprint from Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults: "About the Author", "Overview", "Setting", "Literary Qualities", "Social Sensitivity", "Topics for Discussion", "Ideas for Reports and Papers". (c)1994-2005, by Walton Beacham.
All other sections in this Literature Study Guide are owned and copyrighted by BookRags, Inc.
Inertial Measurement Units provide inertial attitude and velocity data to a spacecraft's guidance, navigation, and control system. On the space shuttle, IMU data are used to convert steering commands into control surface, engine gimbal, and reaction control system thruster fire commands. Flight can be accomplished with just one IMU but the shuttle has three for redundancy.
Shuttle IMUs are located forward of the flight deck control and display panels. The inertial sensors each consist of two gyroscopes, each with two degrees of freedom. The gyroscopes are used to maintain the IMU's inertial orientation. Four resolvers in each IMU measure vehicle attitude. Two accelerometers in each IMU measure linear vehicle accelerations. IMUs are carefully calibrated prior to each shuttle flight, and on-orbit alignments using a star tracker are necessary to correct the effects of uncompensated gyro drift.
During ascent, the IMUs provide accelerometer and resolver data to the navigation software to determine attitude and display flight parameters. In orbit, the IMUs provide attitude and accelerometer data. On entry, IMU data again contribute to state vector determination—identifying the precise attitude and speed of travel of the orbiter.
Flight Control (Volume 3);; Guidance and Control Systems (Volume 3);; Gyroscopes (Volume 3).
Kennedy Space Center: Science, Technology and Engineering.