Why did NASA use a ring laser gyro in the OSIRIS-REX mission?

For the same reason the ISS uses ring laser gyroscopes - they are excellent rate sensors. They have few mechanical parts. They are very precise. They are well understood. RLGs use the Sagnac effect to identify small rates imposed on the vehicle. T... read more

For the same reason the ISS uses ring laser gyroscopes - they are excellent rate sensors. They have few mechanical parts. They are very precise. They are well understood. RLGs use the Sagnac effect to identify small rates imposed on the vehicle. Two lasers travel in opposite directions along the perimeter of a triangle. read more

OSIRIS-Rex is a NASA probe launched in 2016 to study the carbonaceous asteroid, 101955 Bennu. There is a sample return part, where they hope to bring a sample of the asteroid back to Earth in 2023. read more

Location, location, location. For a sample return mission, accessibility is key. read more