FLIGHT PROVEN HARDWARE
Heritage-driven spacecraft components for precision in orbit.
At the heart of NSS is a commitment to precision, reliability, and innovation. Our portfolio spans essential spacecraft components and subsystems, including sun sensors, magnetometers, GPS receivers and antennas, reaction wheels, magnetorquer rods, and our latest expansion into RF communications.
SUN SENSORS
The Sun Sensor product line, known as AQUILA, provides reliable and accurate sun-angle measurements for spacecraft attitude, determination and control. Designed for high-reliability space applications, these sensors are suitable for both primary and safe-mode attitude sensing. With over 1000+ units delivered and an extensive in-orbit heritage exceeding five years in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), the NSS Sun Sensors are baselined on multiple satellite constellations. Their robust design, ultra-compact form factor, low power consumption, and wide field of view make them a preferred choice for both commercial and institutional missions.
REACTION WHEELS
A high-performance alternative to a propulsion-based reaction control system, reaction wheels provide spacecraft with control torque by means of momentum exchange between the satellite body and the rotating wheel. The increasing popularity of these wheels coupled with our commitment to high quality, fit-for-purpose components has resulted in NSS offering these wheels in a range of standard sizes (LIBRA-065, LIBRA-4, LIBRA-6, LIBRA-25) or can offer a customised flywheel for mission optimisation.
MAGNETORQUER RODS
Magnetorquer rods are a method of controlling the attitude of a spacecraft in orbit around earth by interacting with the planet’s local magnetic field. They can be used on their own or, more usually, in combination with reaction wheels by facilitating the dumping of excess momentum in the reaction wheels without the need for a complex propulsion system.
NSS magnetorquer rods comprise of an electromagnetic coil wound over a magnetic alloy core. When the coils are energized by an electric current, an electromagnetic field is generated and amplified by the core, ultimately producing a strong magnetic dipole moment. This enables controlled magnetic torque generation for momentum management, and disturbance compensation.
We offer a range of different winding methods to suit your needs: monofilar winding for greater mass efficiency; bifilar winding for redundancy; or dual monofilar winding for greater versatility. With over >7,000 units delivered and flown on 10+ international constellation programmes, NSS is one of the world’s leading suppliers of magnetorquer rods. All variants benefit from a mature, flight-proven design and manufacturing process.
GNSS RECEIVER & ANTENNA
The NSS Gemini receiver range is available as an L1-frequency GPS receiver and a multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS receiver, utilizing a heritage chipset. Targeted at low-cost SmallSat constellations, it enables space-based altitude and velocity applications. The Gemini-SR5 operates from a 5 V supply, while the Gemini-MR28 operates from an unregulated 28 V supply and incorporates latch-up protection/detection and a watchdog timer for increased reliability and robustness. The Gemini range introduces two new protocol options: NMEA 0183 and a Binary protocol.
MAGNETOMETER
The NSS tri-axial magnetometer utilises Anisotropic Magneto-Resistive (AMR) sensors, which are co-located with offset compensating circuitry. The offset compensating circuitry nulls the characteristic offset voltage of the AMR sensor, which enhances the sensors performance. The sensor provides x-, y- and z-axes magnetic field component measurements, as well as a sensor temperature measurement, which is used for the temperature compensation of the magnetic field measurement. This product includes low noise, precision processing and analogue-to-digital conversion circuitry, which improves its linearity and reduces the drift sensitivity of the sensor head. The integrated processing circuitry and sensor head provides the mission with an accurate and stable magnetic field measurement at low power consumption. The power requirement is a regulated 5V supply while the measured x-, y-, and z-axes magnetic field components are available on a digital serial interface.
TRANCEIVERS & TRANSMITTERS
NewSpace Systems offers a suite of communication products targeting the earth exploration satellite service. A S-band tracking, telemetry, and command (TT&C) transceiver is available, as well as high date-rate transmitters in the X- and Ka-bands. All communication products are fully CCSDS compliant.
The S-band transceiver is a highly configurable software-defined radio that offers reliable and secure full-duplex communication. Pseudo-noise ranging and data encryption are available as options.
The X- and Ka-band transmitters utilizes advanced modulation and forward error correction to achieve excellent bandwidth and power efficiency while maintaining quasi-error-free communication. Variable- or adaptive coding and modulation is also supported to optimize bandwidth utilization and adapt to channel conditions.
RF ANTENNAS
NewSpace Systems offers a range of high-reliability antennas designed to meet the stringent requirements of satellite and aerospace applications. Our range of standard antennas is available from S-band frequencies, ensuring robust communication and data transmission for space missions. With a focus on durability and efficiency, our antennas are engineered for precision and reliability.