Next Generation Gimbal (NGG)

A-Tech Corporation, d.b.a. Applied Technology Associates (ATA), is innovating the design and mechanizations of space gimbals and their electronics and pointing controls. This new paradigm for a gimbal design is denoted the Next Generation Gimbal (NGG) and yields a gimbal system that is lighter, uses less power, and exhibits better performance. The technology innovations that will be exploited in creating the NGG include: an on-gimbal IRU for precise and accurate pointing control and stabilization; an operating configuration that provides a drive system that does not impose reactions on the spacecraft bus; innovative mode logic and control algorithms to optimize overall mass, power, function, and performance; advanced gimbal subsystem control electronics hosted on flexible, small, low-power FPGA processors with characteristics suitable for space environments (including radiation environments); and material selections that are compatible with optical payload gimbal applications. A combination of these new gimbal design approaches, advanced technologies, and new control and operating philosophies offer great promise and allows ATA to reach the goals of SBIR Topic MDA07-008.