Publication Date:
2019-07-13
Description:
Throughout the history of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) program, gyro current increases have been observed to occur, often times leading to gyro failure. The explanation was that debris from the surfaces of the gas bearings, with only 1.27 micron clearance, resulted in rotor restriction, which increased friction, torque, and current. However, the rotor restriction theory never could account for the fact that a restart of the gyro would restore the current back to nominal. An effort was made to understand this puzzling gyro behavior after two HST gyros exhibited increased current within the same week in November 2015. A review board was created to resolve these anomalies and generate operational procedures to potentially extend gyro life. A new understanding of gyro current behavior led to implementation of a method that could potentially save a failing gyro.
Keywords:
Mechanical Engineering
Type:
GSFC-E-DAA-TN44387
,
European Space Mechanisms and Tribology Symposium (ESMATS); Sep 20, 2017 - Sep 22, 2017; Hatfield, UK; United States
Format:
application/pdf
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