Effect of Ignition Voltage Amplitude on Breakdown Delay Time of Ring Laser Discharge Gap

The modern space industry requires autonomous and high-precision control systems for scientific and commercial missions. Strapdown inertial navigation systems based on laser gyroscopes play a key role in spacecraft control, especially in environments where satellite navigation is unavailable. In this paper, ring lasers with an active medium made of a helium-neon mixture, their design and operating modes are investigated. The influence of voltage on the ignition electrodes (4.2-5 kV) on the breakdown time of the active medium has been analyzed. It was found that increasing the voltage reduces the breakdown time, providing reliable activation of gyroscopes. The experimental results allowed to determine the optimal ignition parameters that increase operation reliability and reduce production losses. This contributes to the development of highly efficient spacecraft control systems, opening up new prospects for deep space exploration and control of satellite systems. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.