A reaction wheel (RW) is an electric motor attached to a flywheel, which, when its rotation speed is changed, causes a counter-rotation proportionately through conservation of angular momentum. [1] A reaction wheel can rotate only around its center of mass; it is not capable of moving from one place to another (translational force).

Our high-reliability, vacuum-lubricated reaction wheels are designed for picosatellites, nanosatellites and microsats. More than 240 wheels are on-orbit, performing well. All Sinclair Interplanetary by Rocket Lab reaction wheels incorporate a built-in digital processor.

Reaction wheels are essentially flywheels that enable repositioning of controllable space vehicles and satellites while they are in orbit. Learn more!

The design of the reaction wheel assembly was complicated with the decision from the Electro-magnet team to use hoops of super conducting wire to generate the necessary magnet forces to operate the vehicles.

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.

May 14, 2023 · Discover the fascinating world of reaction wheels, the spinning disks that enable satellites to maintain precise orientation in space. Explore different configurations like inline, pyramid, and orthogonal, and learn how they impact control and redundancy.

Dec 23, 2014 · Reaction wheels, momentum wheels, and control moment gyros are three somewhat distinct ways of controlling the rotation and orientation of a spacecraft. Reaction wheels are the easiest to understand, at least in their simplest form.

May 1, 2024 · Reaction wheels are commonly used in rocketry for attitude control and stabilization of spacecraft. They are used in a wide range of applications, including Earth observation satellites, communication satellites, and deep space missions.

Oct 10, 2024 · Reaction wheels are used to point spacecraft where you want them to point. They don’t provide as much torque as Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) and they require more power for the torque you get, but they’re smaller and lighter than CMGs.

Aug 21, 2018 · Reaction Wheels (Torque Rods) are ways of controlling a vehicle in a microgravity environment by storing angular momentum in spinning disks and discharging it as necessary to apply control forces. The team attempted to implement this in …