Epson announced today that it will showcase its Quartz MEMS inertial measurement unit technology for next-generation small spacecraft at SmallSat 2026.
The company specifically identified applications including:
- autonomous spacecraft navigation
- precision pointing
- attitude determination and control
- LEO constellations
- Earth-observation spacecraft
- navigation independent of external positioning references
Epson is also releasing updated radiation-exposure testing and qualification work intended to make its IMUs viable in space environments.
Why it matters: Autonomous satellites need to determine their orientation, acceleration and motion even when GPS or external navigation information is unavailable. High-reliability IMUs become part of the underlying sensor stack enabling onboard autonomous GNC.
