WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., March 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- On March 17, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) dedicated its space gyroscope manufacturing facility to Dr. David D. Lynch, the "Father of the Hemispherical Resonator Gyro (HRG)." This gyro, which utilizes changes in vibration patterns on a thin-walled glass shell to detect when it is moved, supports space missions extending to 15 years and beyond on spacecraft applications including communications, earth sciences studies and deep space exploration.
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The David D. Lynch Hemispherical Resonator Gyro Manufacturing Center dedication celebrates the successful relocation of the center from Goleta, Calif., to Northrop Grumman's Woodland Hills, Calif., facility where its Navigation Systems Division is headquartered.
During the ceremony, Dr. Lynch received certificates of recognition from Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslovsky and a representative from the office of California Assemblywoman Fran Pavely.
Dr. Alexis C. Livanos, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division, presented Dr. Lynch with a certificate from Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine. Bob Iorizzo, president of Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems sector, acknowledged Dr. Lynch by saying HRG technology further demonstrates that Northrop Grumman is a technology-driven company.
"We are very pleased to celebrate Dr. Lynch's contributions today," said Dr. Livanos. "This technology developed under his leadership has enabled us to support our nation in establishing a strong presence in space and on strategic platforms for military, commercial and scientific applications." Dr. Livanos said he expects steady growth in HRG technology, and it is destined for a very bright future.
A team under the technical leadership of Dr. Lynch carried out the initial development of the navigation instrument known as the HRG. Dr. Lynch holds several patents, including ones for a variety of improvements in the HRG.
Dr. Lynch also developed the basic theoretical model of the HRG on which the instrument design is based, and he extended the HRG theoretical model throughout the initial development and the engineering and product developments that led to production gyros.
The pattern of vibration in the "wineglass" of the HRG -- the quartz-glass shell resonator of the gyro assembly -- is so minute that it creates very little stress and fatigue in the glass itself. This contributes to the cumulative 4.5 million hours of failure-free operation in space by the HRGs in Northrop Grumman-built systems. Early work by Dr. Lynch's team demonstrated that HRG technology could achieve performance consistent with ballistic-missile requirements, and later work demonstrated that it could deliver performance consistent with aircraft navigation requirements.
Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division, part of Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, supplies situational-awareness products for international and domestic defense and commercial markets and offers integrated avionics, navigation and positioning systems for space and high-value platform products, navigation-grade and tactical-grade inertial systems, fiber-optic gyro systems designed to customer requirements, underwater fiber-optic sensors, identification friend-or-foe transponders and interrogators, cockpit displays and computers, and logistic support products and services.
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