Reaction wheels represent the zenith of attitude control technology, serving as indispensable components in spacecraft stabilization and orientation management. They are instrumental in maintaining precise spacecraft positioning, facilitating the execution of orbital adjustments, and ensuring accurate trajectory alignments. With the increasing demand for space missions and satellite operations intensifying across governmental and commercial domains, the evolution and deployment of sophisticated reaction wheel systems emerge as essential prerequisites, guaranteeing enhanced manoeuvrability and operational efficiency. In this article, SatNow has listed some interesting Reaction Wheels that were trending on the website in 2023.
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Reaction Wheel for Attitude Control of CubeSats
The RW400 from AAC Clyde Space is a Reaction Wheel that is specifically designed for 6-12U CubeSat platforms. It has a maximum torque of +/- 8 mNm and a total momentum storage of up to +/- 50 mNms. The reaction wheel has a mass of 375 gms and supports I2C, RS-422, and RS-485 interfaces. It requires a DC supply of 2.3-5.25 V and has a power consumption of up to 15 W. It measures 50 x 50 x 27 mm and is ideal for attitude control of CubeSats and other small platforms. Read more.
Satellite Reaction Wheel for CubeSat
The RW1 Type A from Astrofein is a Satellite Reaction Wheel that is designed for small satellites like CubeSat for a lifetime of 1 year in LEO orbit. It has a torque of 23 x 10-6 Nm and an angular momentum of 5.8 x 10-4 Nms. This reaction wheel has a mass of over 24 grams and a nominal rotation speed of 8000 rpm. This satellite reaction wheel supports four standard interfaces and measures 21 x 21 x 12 mm. Read more.
Reaction Wheel for Small Satellites
The RWA05 from Berlin Space Technologies is a Reaction Wheel that is designed for small satellites with a lifetime of 5 years in LEO orbit. It has a torque of 14.2-16 mNm and an angular momentum of 0.5 Nms. This reaction wheel has a mass of 1.7 Kg and a velocity of 0.5 Nms. It requires a DC supply of 5-32 V and has a power consumption of 0.5 W. This reaction wheel measures 105.0 x 106.6 x 109.5 mm. Read more.
High Torque Reaction Wheel for Satellites
The W45E from Bradford Space is a Reaction Wheel that has been part of several space missions such as SOHO, RadarSat, Seastar, and Olympus. It has a maximum torque of 0.248 Nm and momentum storage of 45 Nms. This reaction wheel has a mass of 7.45 gms and a maximum operational speed of 4000 rpm. It requires a DC supply of 28-50 V and has a power consumption of up to 168 W. It measures 365 x 125 mm. Read more.
Reaction Wheel for LEO Orbit & Deep Space Applications
The RWP015 from Blue Canyon Technologies is a Reaction Wheel that is ideal for LEO orbit and deep space exploration missions. It has a maximum torque of 0.004 Nm and a momentum of 0.015 Nms. This reaction wheel has a mass of 0.13 Kg and consists of an advanced lubrication system that ensures a low jitter. It requires a DC supply of 10-14 V and has a power consumption of less than 1 W. It measures 42 x 42 x 19 mm. Read more.
Satellite Reaction Wheel for 6-16U CubeSats
The CubeWheel S from Cubespace is a Satellite Reaction Wheel that is designed for attitude control of satellites ranging from 2-20 kg. It has a torque of 0.23 mNm and an angular momentum of 1.77 mNm. This reaction wheel has a mass of 60 gms and a static imbalance of less than 0.003 g/cm. It requires a DC supply of 3.3-16 V and has a peak power consumption of 0.65 W. This reaction wheel measures 28 x 28 x 26.2 mm and is ideal for CubeSats ranging from 6-16 U. Read more.
Reaction Wheel for CubeSats
The 10 mNms RW-0.01 from Rocket Lab is a Reaction Wheel that is specifically designed for smaller CubeSats with a lifetime of 10 years in orbit. It has a torque of ±1 mNm and a momentum of up to 0.018 Nms. This reaction wheel has a mass of 120 gms and consists of diamond-coated hybrid ball bearings with redundant motor windings. It requires a DC supply of 3.4-6 V and has a power consumption of up to 1.05 W. This reaction wheel measures 50 x 50 x 30 mm. Read more.
Reaction Wheel System for CubeSat
The 4RW0 from NanoAvionics is a Reaction Wheel system with a torque of 2.5-5.9 mNm and an angular momentum of 0.0156 Nms-0.037 Nms. It requires a supply voltage of 5 V and a power consumption of 0.6 W. The reaction wheel system has a mass of 665 g and measures 92.5 mm x 92.5 mm x 51.3 mm. It is suitable for the reaction wheel control system in CubeSat. Read more.
0.2 Nms Reaction Wheel for Satellite Constellations
The VRW-B-02 from VECTRONIC Aerospace GmbH is a Reaction Wheel with a torque of ±20 mNm and angular momentum of 0.2 Nms. It requires a DC voltage of 9-36 V and has a maximum power consumption of 25 W.It has a maximum speed of ±6500 rpm and has an in-orbit lifetime of more than 45000 hours. This reaction wheel has a mass of 1 kg and measures 70 mm x 70 mm x 48 mm. It is ideal for small satellite applications. Read more.
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Note: This list has been compiled based on user activity on SatNow. To ensure that we cover the whole range of Reaction wheels we limited the number of products from each category and company. The listed products are shown in random order and are grouped by category.
