Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Small Satellites (or Smallsats, in short) are increasingly recognized for their versatility and efficienty. In*particular, their applications are now found for data collection that could directly benefit both the Operationally*Responsive Space (ORS) intelligence goals as well as commercial sector's high revenue ambitions. Currently,*all small satellites rely on reaction wheels to achieve 3-axis control and increasing the agility of small satellites*while using reaction wheels is significantly hampered by the high mass and power trade-off when using*reaction wheels. Control Moment Gyroscope is the unique alternative actuation mechanism that provides the*hosting satellite the increased agility while requiring less power and mass compared to reaction wheels which*is invaluable in a smallsat application. Despite this crucial advantage and its wide usage in larger commercial*and intelligence satellites, there is no proper Control Moment Gyroscope available in the market for this class*of small satellites.*The proposed research is to develop a Control Moment Gyroscope hardware suitable for the microsatellite*class of satellites (<150 kg). We propose to design, develop and engineer a prototype control moment*gyroscope (CMG) capable of providing > 100 mNm torque, >200 mNms angular momentum, while consuming*<7 W power and mass < 700 grams. This will allow spacecraft agile maneuvering and result in ground high*value target frequent revisits as well as space object tracking, within considerably lower launch cost.*The project aims to provide innovative space product to broaden applications of small satellites in both civilian*and military applications by developing a highly accurate, agile control actuator. In long run, the project is to*build on MSCI and York University's Attitude Control System (ACS) research to further develop advanced*attitude hardware for advanced satellite design.