JOURNEY TO ORBIT | EP6 - The Intelligence | Skyroot Aerospace

Video from the channel Skyroot Aerospace about Skyroot Aerospace, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 3:26. Language: English. Video type: Documentary.

The episode explains the onboard intelligence that lets a Skyroot Aerospace rocket fly itself to orbit, without a pilot or manual controls: a set of computers, sensors and algorithms that calculate and execute every phase of the flight.

Mission design starts from the satellite's destination, which sets the trajectory, the vehicle configuration and the sequence of engine burns and stage separations. Guidance, navigation and control (GNC) algorithms follow that trajectory and correct deviations, together with the flight sequencing software.

Avionics act as the rocket's nervous system. An inertial measurement unit with an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer complements the GPS, a telemetry module keeps the link with the ground, and the mission computer, called Ramanujan, coordinates everything. Closed-loop tests with simulators rehearse failures such as GPS loss, low engine performance, wind gusts or sensor errors.