Pointing and stabilization of an optical system on a sounding rocket

Pointing and stabilization of the FAUST instrument are done by gyroscopic systems. A gimballed inertial platform gives the reference axes; around these axes, two SAGEM type F floating gyroscopes, in a strapped down mode, insure the fine stabilization of the FAUST optics. The paper describes the twin gyroscopic system and gives the main results after sounding-rocket flight tests. The design principle - which has been validated in the laboratory and in flight - is applicable to satellites and Spacelab stabilized experiments.