Inertial units & gyroscopes, Honeywell, Northrop, Safran

The orientation of a satellite or the guidance of a launcher rests on fibre-optic or laser gyroscopes of extreme precision, mastered by three players, Honeywell and Northrop in the United States, Safran in Europe. Dual-use components, they are subject to export regimes (ITAR) that partition the world market as much as the scarcity of the know-how.