Reaction Wheels, Star Trackers and Attitude Control
Are the parts that point satellites a bottleneck for constellation builders?
Chapter summary
every satellite must know where it is pointing (star trackers, sun sensors, gyroscopes) and turn itself (reaction wheels, magnetorquers).
Key takeaways
- 1
These are mature parts made by many firms, but space-qualified volume production is limited and new constellations order thousands a year.
- 2
Smaller operators report keeping several satellites' worth of reaction wheels in stock because they cannot rely on delivery dates.
- 3
Suppliers have responded with high-volume lines.
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