REACTION WHEEL
reaction wheels provide spacecrafts with control torque by means of momentum exchange between the satellite body and the rotating wheel.
UTILITY
A high performance alternative to 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 (NRWA-T065, NRWA-T2, NRWA-T6, NRWA-T8 and NRWA-T32) or can offer a customised fly wheel for mission optimisation. Typically, three to four reaction wheels are needed to provide full three-axis control of a spacecraft. The additional integration of these wheels with external gyroscopes enables full three-axis control using inertial rates. With high torque stability, wheel momentum capacity and accurate speed control; the NSS reaction wheels are ideal for agile small satellite missions requiring accurate pointing.
• Wheel torque and momentum capacity suited to client mission requirements
• Current, speed and Torque control
• Simple digital interface to spacecraft bus
• Integration with an optional gyroscope for inertial rate control and inertial angle control modes possible on T065
• Hermetically sealed (T065 & T2)
• Long demonstrated lifetimes
• High performance three-axis torque and momentum exchange actuators for agile small satellite missions
• Momentum bias
• Inertial rate control for accurate pointing of imagers
• NCSS-SA05: Six sensors can achieve full sky coverage
The NewSpace Systems (NSS) Reaction Wheel product range is extensively qualified and based on a robust design with significant in-orbit heritage. The T065 wheel, which first flew in 2014, has more than 3 million failure-free hours in-orbit with no reported SEU’s. Since then, NSS has expanded its wheel range and now offers custom wheel solutions. With an order book of >300 wheels, and wheels baselined on 4 constellation
programmes, the NSS wheels have become a preferred choice for
longer lifetime missions and constellation programmes
