How does the Seakeeper gyro compare to the Mitsubishi MSM gyro?
The Mitsubishi MSM control moment gyro (CMG) applies the same principles of gyro-dynamics as the Seakeeper gyro, but the application is much less sophisticated, and therefore, less useful and effective. The most important difference is that the Mitsubishi gyro spins its flywheel at ambient air pressure, which because of air friction, limits flywheel speed and requires substantial electrical power to overcome that friction. The Seakeeper Gyro, by contrast, spins its flywheel in a near vacuum. The result is that air friction is eliminated, thus greatly reducing power consumption and allowing a faster turning, lighter flywheel that reduces weight. For example, the Mitsubishi MSM-4000 has an output of 5,000 Newton meter seconds (N-m-s is the fundamental measure of CMG output), weighs 700 kg, and requires 3kW of power at steady state. By comparison, the Seakeeper 7000 Gyro has an output of 7,000 N-m-s, weighs 455 kg and requires 1.5 kW of power at steady state, resulting in the Seakeeper un
