Integrated gyro unit

The very first sensor to be used by ESA’s Hera asteroid mission for planetary defence is currently being manufactured in Ireland. A gyroscope unit manufactured by Dublin-based InnaLabs will track the spacecraft’s spin rate as it tumbles away from its Ariane 6 launcher following its 2024 liftoff, allowing it to safely orient its solar panels to the Sun and come to life. This 3-axis gyro unit includes electronics and shielding but is only 1.5 kg in mass.