The Scalable SIRU™ is an inertial unit for spacecraft navigation system. It is commercialized by Northrop Grumman Corporation. 'SIRU' stands for 'Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit'.

It combines innovation and high reliability. According to Northrop Grumman Corporation it records (July 2013) 100 percent mission success in more than 22 million on-orbit hours and 147 billion miles traveled—for precision performance on space missions.

The Hemispherical Resonator Gyro (HRG) sensor on the Scalable SIRU™ is composed of three simple machined quartz parts— an outer shell, a high-Q vibrating hemispherical resonator and an inner shell. The quartz construction of the HRG is inherently stable, impervious to aging effects, and naturally radiation hardened.

Applications: The Scalable SIRU™ is performing sensor pointing/stabilization and spacecraft attitude control on demanding long-term space missions. Each of the four inertial sensor channels can be operated independently by either of the two power supply/processors, providing a probability of mission success of 0.997 for a 15-year mission. 

The hemispherical resonator gyro (HRG) is a gyroscope technology, patented and commercialised by Northrop Grumman Corporation.

The HRG is used for military and commercial space applications. It recently achieved a major milestone of 25 million hours of continuous operation without a single mission failure.

Since February 1996, the HRG has been a vital component of Northrop Grumman's Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit (Scalable SIRU™) and its predecessor, the Space Inertial Reference Unit (SIRU), which enable the stabilization, tracking and attitude control of spacecraft and satellites. The Scalable SIRU™ was instrumental in achieving the scientific objectives of several highly successful program missions, including MESSENGER, Deep Impact and Cassini.

Kondor is a series of earth imaging or military reconnaissance satellites.

The Kondor satellites are developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya for the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces and export customers. Satellites for the Russian military are designated Kondor, whilst those for export are designated Kondor-E.

Kondor satellites are equipped to carry either synthetic aperture radar or electro-optical imaging payloads, with the first satellite, and are launched using the Strela carrier rocket, developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya from retired UR-100NUTTKh missiles.

ADM-Aeolus, or, in full, Atmospheric Dynamics Mission Aeolus, is an ESA satellite that is due for launch in 2014.

ADM-Aeolus will be the first equipment capable of performing global wind-component-profile observation and will provide much-needed information to improve weather forecasting.

The Precision Array for Probing the Epoch of Reionization (PAPER) is a low-frequency radio interferometer designed to detect the ignition of the first stars and galaxies around 500 Million years after the Big Bang.

It uses intensity mapping of 21cm emission of neutral hydrogen at high redshifts (z=7-12) to measure the power spectrum of fluctuations in the intergalactic medium introduced by the first luminous sources in the universe.

Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc., is a public company engaged in the development, patenting and licensing of unique stem cells produced in a zero/microgravity environment.

Our mission is to be the first company to commercialize dramatic scientific breakthroughs in the area of unique and patentable plant, animal and human stem cells developed through the ISS space station to improve life on earth.

Icarus Interstellar is a research organization dedicated to achieving interstellar Flight by 2100.

The mission of Icarus Interstellar is to realize interstellar flight before the year 2100. We will accomplish this objective by researching and developing the science and the technologies that will make interstellar flight a reality, igniting the public's interest, and engaging with all those prepared to invest in interstellar exploration.

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) is the national centre for optical and infrared astronomy in South Africa.

Its prime function is to conduct fundamental research in astronomy and astrophysics. It does so by providing a world-class facility to scientists.

The SAAO promotes astronomy and astrophysics in Southern Africa, by sharing research findings and discoveries. So, to learn more about the wonders of space, start exploring our website now.

The CubeSat AOCS pack enables three-axis attitude control of CubeSats.

It is a product of SFL presenting high performance actuator and sensor package that draws directly from CanX-2 heritage and proven on-orbit performance. This suite of attitude sensors and actuators enables detumbling maneuvers, nadir pointing and three-axis inertial pointing while adhering to strict volume, mass and power constraints. The reaction wheels are smaller versions of the CanX-2 reaction wheel, developed in collaboration with Sinclair Interplanetary.

The XPOD Separation System was developed through the SFL CanX Nanosatellite Program.

The XPOD is an enclosed "jack-in-the-box" container for separating nanosatellites from virtually any launch vehicle. Various models are available, including models compatible with the CalPoly CubeSat standard. Once a deployment signal is received from the launch vehicle, a power supply inside the XPOD activates a release mechanism causing a door to open and the spacecraft to be ejected. The XPOD implements a single-failure fail-operational design, and is customizable for spacecraft up to 14kg with arbitrary dimensions. Also available are semi-enclosed (or "open concept") designs that accommodate fixed appendages. Recently, six XPODs flew successfully aboard PSLV-C9 including the XPOD Single, XPOD Triple, and XPOD GNB models (pictured above).