Flight results of the ring laser gyro based inertial navigation system for Atlas/Centaur

The authors describe the Centaur modern avionics suite and discuss the inertial navigation flight performance. The integration of modern ring laser gyro and microprocessor technology into the Atlas/Centaur launch vehicle resulted in an order-of-magnitude improvement in orbital insertion accuracy over the previous gimbaled platform guidance system. The improved positioning accuracy minimizes the orbital correction burns required by the payload, which conserves valuable propellant required for station keeping. The upgrading of the avionics resulted in a factor-of-five reduction in recurring hardware cost and close to 200 lbs in weight reductions