Zero-G Technology Demonstration of Low-Cost Three-Axis CubeSat Attitude Control with Hard Disk Drive Reaction Wheels

The Zero-G Technology Demonstration of Low-Cost,Three-Axis CubeSat Attitude Control with Hard Disk Drive Reaction Wheels repurposes commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hard disk drives to build CubeSat reaction wheels. Reaction wheels are an essential component for CubeSat attitude control but are often cost-prohibitive for low-budget mission developers and university researchers. Over four parabolic flights, researchers will assess the repurposed reaction wheels’ three-axis pointing and stabilization in microgravity. This technology would dramatically decrease the cost of a crucial CubeSat component.

Problem Statement 
Commercial satellite reaction wheels can cost up to $10,000, which is a significant portion of typical university satellite development budgets. To save on costs, low-budget mission developers at universities and elsewhere will sometimes manufacture their own reaction wheels, which can be less reliable and pose a higher risk for mechanical failures. Using COTS hard disk drives to produce reliable reaction wheels would enable rapid mission development.

Technology Maturation 
In preparation for UC Davis’s Remote Experimentation and Analysis of Low Orbit Phenomena (REALOP) mission, parabolic flight testing will assess the wheels’ attitude control capabilitiesin all three axes of rotation. Specifically, successful three-axis pointing and stabilization in microgravity would mature this technology from TRL 4 to TRL 7.The reaction wheel design will be shared openly to support increased commercial activity in space.

Summary of Flight Test
2022-01-04 Through this parabolic flight campaign, the UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research has proven that hard disk drives (HDDs) can be repurposed as low-cost, effective reaction wheels for three-axis small satellite attitude control and has raised the Technology Readiness Level of HDD reaction wheels from TRL 4 to TRL 6. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) reaction wheels can reduce CubeSat reaction wheel costs by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude and increase reliability by removing the necessity for manufacturing, thus enabling low budget and rapid development missions to have a low-cost, low-risk attitude controller. This flight campaign demonstrated change in attitude and angular momentum of a CubeSat in a microgravity environment using pre-programmed maneuvers with the HDD reaction wheels; the upcoming flight campaign will demonstrate CubeSat closed loop stabilization and pointing controls using the UC Davis designed HDD reaction wheel system.
2022-06-27 Through this parabolic flight campaign, the UC Davis Center for Spaceflight Research has proven that hard disk drives (HDDs) can be repurposed as low-cost, effective reaction wheels for three-axis small satellite attitude control and has raised the Technology Readiness Level of HDD reaction wheels from TRL 4 to TRL 7. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) reaction wheels can reduce CubeSat reaction wheel costs by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude and increase reliability by removing the necessity for manufacturing, thus enabling low budget and rapid development missions to have a low-cost, low-risk attitude controller. During this flight campaign, two experiments were performed concurrently to demonstrate 3 axis CubeSat stabilization in a microgravity environment.

Building reliable CubeSat reaction wheels from repurposed hard disk drives would significantly decrease the cost of this crucial component. This technology reduces risks associated with low-budget mission developers building their own reaction wheels, and it also allows for variable speed and bi-directional control. This would benefit NASA missions and the commercial space industry.

Future Customers
•University researchers building CubeSats
•NASA and commercial CubeSat developers
•Other low-budget mission developers

This is a mature technology (TRL 7) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.