Twofold Improvement of System's Vibration Isolation Capacity Published May 6, 2008 By Eva Blaylock Space Vehicles Directorate KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- AFRL's TacSat-2 tactical satellite successfully completed the unlock sequence for the Miniature Vibration Isolation System-II (MVIS-II), prompting immediate improvement of on-orbit passive vibration isolation between satellite bus and payload. Specifically, MVIS-II now demonstrates twice its original capacity for passive vibration isolation. Engineers from both AFRL and Honeywell Defense and Space were involved in performing the additional tests associated with this MVIS-II enhancement. Leveraging a design entailing its active control of "smart" materials, MVIS-II is able to isolate sensitive optical payloads from vibration over a wide range of bandwidths. Further, this miniature hybrid (passive/active) isolation system accommodates changes to payload mass properties and geometry, requiring only minor modifications to support structures and thereby offering yet another significant improvement over previous system designs.