Demonstrates how gyro stabilizers are used for spacecraft navigation. The gyro (see inset) will detect the change in angle and tell the thruster to tilt in order to compensate for the change.
To try this
simulation:
Left-click and drag to push the rocket off course.
What's Going On?
This Rocket has a Gyro Stabilized Rocket Nozzle! Inside of the Rocket is a Gyroscope. When a Gyroscope is spinning, it wants to stay in the same position no matter how you try to move it around. This Gyro is connected to a series of sensors that detect the tilt of the Rocket with respect to the Gyro. When a sensor notices the tilt, it turns on a Linear Actuator which pushes or pulls the Rocket Nozzle in the proper direction to keep the Rocket aimed on course.
If you push the Rocket to the right, the Gyro senses this and compensates by pushing the Nozzle to the right as well. It's kind of like balancing a broom on the end of your finger - if the broom falls to the right, you move your finger to compensate!
There's More!
Gyro stabilizers can help you here on earth as well as in space! Ocean going ships have massive gyroscopes bolted to the inner hull of the ship. As these gyroscopes spin, they stabilize the ship as it steams on.
Other applications are for stable platforms for motion picture and video cameras. You have seen the "eye in the sky" camera shots on the news. These are usually taken from a helicopter. Without a stable platform to put the camera on, the picture would be very jerky. The gyroscope spins and adds stability to the camera so the bumpiness of hand held and aircraft mounted photographic equipment is not seen on the screen.
