Search Results

Design and Manufacturing of an Inclinometer sensing element for launch vehicle applications Tony M Shaju, Nirmal Krishna, G Nagamalleswara Rao, Pradeep K Scientist/Engineer, ISRO Inertial Systems Unit, Vattiyoorkavu, Trivandrum, India - 695013 Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) uses indigenously developed launch vehicles like PSLV, GSLV, LVM3 and SSLV for placing remote sensing and communication satellites along with spacecrafts for other important scientific applications into earth bound orbits. Navigation systems present in the launch vehicle play a pivotal role in achieving the intended orbits for these spacecrafts. During the assembly of these navigation packages on the launch vehicle, it is required to measure the initial tilt of the navigation sensors for any misalignment corrections, which is given as input to the navigation software. A high precision inclinometer is required to measure these tilts with a resolution of 1 arc-second.

Abstract Unlike conventional launch vehicles the winged body reusable launch vehicle needs to be tested and evaluated for its functionality during the pre-flight preparation at the runway. The ground based checkout systems for the avionics and actuators performance testing during pre-flight evaluation and actuation are not designed for rapid movement. The new kind of launch vehicle with conventional rocket motor first-stage and winged body upper-stage demands the system testing at Launchpad and at runway. In the developmental flights of the winged body part of the vehicle, the pre-flight testing needs to be carried out extensively at runway. The safety protocol forbids the permanent structure for hosting the checkout system near runway. The alternative is the development of a rapidly deployable and removable checkout system. A design methodology adopting conventional industrial instrumentation systems and maintaining mobility is presented.

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) envisions heterogenous airborne entities like crewed and uncrewed passenger and cargo vehicles within, and between urban and rural environment. To achieve this, a paradigm shift to a cooperative operating environment similar to Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) is needed. This requires the blending of Traditional Air Traffic Services (ATS) with the new generation AAM vehicles having their unique flight dynamics and handling characteristics. A hybrid environment needs to be established with enhanced shared situational awareness for all stakeholders, enabling equitable airspace access, minimizing risk, optimized airspace use, and providing flexible and adaptable airspace rules. This paper introduces a novel concept of distributed airspace management which would be apt for all kinds of operational scenarios perceived for AAM. The proposal is centered around the efficiency and safety in air space management being achieved by self-discipline.

Aviation industry is striving to leverage the technological advancements in connectivity, computation and data analytics. Scalable and robust connectivity enables futuristic applications like smart cabins, prognostic health management (PHM) and AI/ML based analytics for effective decision making leading to flight operational efficiency, optimized maintenance planning and aircraft downtime reduction. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) are gaining prominence on the aircraft for providing large scale connectivity solution that are essential for implementing various health monitoring applications like Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), Prognostic Health Management (PHM), etc. and control applications like smart lighting, smart seats, smart lavatory, etc. These applications help in improving passenger experience, flight operational efficiency, optimized maintenance planning and aircraft downtime reduction.

With the upcoming technology demonstration projects such as the Reusable Launch Vehicle, easily portable data acquisition systems for ground testing are the need of the hour. The existing data acquisition systems used in ISRO scenario tends to be bulky or to be of higher capability based on the number parameters to be acquired, which makes them underutilized. To tackle this problem, a novel approach to implement a data acquisition system on BeagleBone®️ Black, a Single Board Computer (SBC) was conceived. With this approach the number of components utilized would be reduced as we make use of ADCs present in the BeagleBone computer. Also, the size of the hardware setup is significantly reduced as the chosen SBC fits into the palm of our hands. To protect the data acquisition components from common mode voltages, an isolation amplifier is utilized. The acquired parameters are digitized and broadcasted.

Launch vehicle structures in course of its flight will be subjected to dynamic forces over a range of frequencies up to 2000 Hz. These loads can be steady, transient or random in nature. The dynamic excitations like aerodynamic gust, motor oscillations and transients, sudden application of control force are capable of exciting the low frequency structural modes and cause significant responses at the interface of launch vehicle and satellite. The satellite interface responses to these low frequency excitations are estimated through Coupled Load Analysis (CLA). The analysis plays a crucial role in mission as the satellite design loads and Sine vibration test levels are defined based on this. The perquisite of CLA is to predict the responses with considerable accuracy so that the design loads are not exceeded in the flight. CLA validation is possible by simulating the flight experienced responses through the analysis.

With the present state of the art technology, size and mass of the satellites have come down. This necessitated the need for a low shock separation system that does not have mass attached to the separated satellite. Development of Nano satellites with mass of the order of 1 to 24 kg has become popular among scientific/ academic institutions for carrying out scientific experiments. INLS 3U Unipod System (Nano satellite dispenser system) is a satellite dispensing system designed by ISRO for accommodating four 3U class Nano satellites in a single structure where each satellite is deployed independently by separate actuation commands. INLS stands for ISRO's Nano satellite Launch System. The Unipod separation system successfully flown first time in PSLV C56 Mission for the deployment of three foreign satellites namely Nulion, Galassia-2 and SCOOB II.

Find out why you should attend the 2025 Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition.

SAE EDGE Research Reports provide examinations significant topics facing mobility industry today including Connected Automated Vehicle Technologies Electrification Advanced Manufacturing

SAE EDGE Research Reports provide examinations significant topics facing mobility industry today including Connected Automated Vehicle Technologies Electrification Advanced Manufacturing

Request exhibit and sponsor information for the 2025 Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition.

SAE EDGE Research Reports provide examinations significant topics facing mobility industry today including Connected Automated Vehicle Technologies Electrification Advanced Manufacturing

Explore what’s next in the world of mobility by discovering the latest standards, technical advancements, professional development and networking opportunities here

Contact the appropriate representative of the 2025 Noise and Vibration Conference and Exhibition.

SAE EDGE Research Reports provide examinations significant topics facing mobility industry today including Connected Automated Vehicle Technologies Electrification Advanced Manufacturing

This study presents the constructed electromechanical model and the analysis of the obtained nonlinear systems. An algorithm for compensating the nonlinear drift of a gyroscope in a microelectromechanical system is proposed. Tests were carried out on a precision rotating base, with the angular velocity changing as per the program. Bench testing the gyroscope confirmed the results, which were also supported by the parameter calibration. The analytical method was further validated through experimental results, and a correction algorithm for the mathematical model was developed based on the test results. After calibration and adjusting the gyroscope’s systematic flaws, the disparity in calculating the precession angle was within 1/100th of an angular second over an interval of approximately 1000 s. Currently, research is underway on the new nonlinear dynamic characteristics of electrostatically controlled microstructures.

This paper investigates the utilization of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for vehicle localization and conducts a comparative analysis with traditional Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)-based methods. With the rise of LEO satellite constellations, such as Starlink, LEO-based vehicle localization may offer solutions to GNSS-related challenges. With a large number of satellites and short communication distance, the LEO-based method has great potential to improve accuracy, reduce warm-up time, and provide a robust localization solution for vehicle applications. In this paper, a dedicated LEO satellite simulator is presented, adaptable to various LEO constellations, making it relevant for evolving technologies beyond older LEO systems like Orbcomm or Iridium. The simulator includes satellite trajectory generation, observable satellite identification, and vehicle localization.