Talk:Vibrating structure gyroscope

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In the section "Spacecraft orientation", the article says that a "hemi-spherical resonator gyro" (like the one pictured in the linked Northrop Grumman page), provides "accurate 3 axis positioning of the spacecraft".

This is ambiguous! (or at least unclear). Does this literally mean that the gyro can be used to turn the spacecraft (*change* its attitude)? Or can it only be used to *detect* the spacecraft's attitude? (Leaving the actual maneuvering up to thrusters, for example).

Both techniques can be done with traditional, large-scale spinning gyros, but the difference between a detector and an actuator gyro is large in terms of mass and moment of inertia required.

It's easy to imagine that a tiny vibrating gyro can provide attitude detection, but if it can provide adequate turning force for a big spacecraft like Cassini, that would be very remarkable (and hence should be remarked on ;-) ).

Otherwise, the text should be edited to correctly indicate that the gyro provides attitude sensing only.

++RE: (*change* its attitude)? Or can it only be used to *detect* the spacecraft's attitude? (Leaving the actual maneuvering up to thrusters, for example)

Of course *detect* ,but one should know that the attitude control sys. nowadays usually intergreated with *detect* and signal output for *change* in one chip.So maybe its not accurate,but it's not wrong.(ps. my poor english...holp you'll catch what i mean...:-)) For other bugs in 'Theory of Operation' the equ. is based on no damping force conditon.The actually one requares Laplace Transform to figure it out.But what i want to say is,for an encyclopedia tip its enough!It is a complexed one that you'll not intersted except your work related to this industry.....(ZT from CHN.)