Reaction Wheel for Sounding Rocket Payload Attitude Control

Completed TRL 3 (started at 1, targeting 3)

Description

Sounding rocket payload attitude is currently controlled by a system of cold gas thrusters. The gas released by the thrusters has the potential to interfere with science instruments that make measurements of the local environment. There is interest in the sounding rocket science community in an attitude control system (ACS) that can provide fine attitude control without releasing gas. A three-axis reaction wheel assembly (RWA) control system has been modeled that could provide gasless attitude control for sounding rocket payloads. During development of the three-axis model, it was revealed that reaction wheels designed for orbital spacecraft are not well suited for sounding rocket applications. The goal of this project is to design a reaction wheel specifically for use in a sounding rocket ACS.

Benefits

Providing an option for a gasless ACS will improve the quality of science data capable of being captured during a sounding rocket flight.
Finer attitude control can be provided using reaction wheels than through a pulsed cold gas system.
Improving sounding rocket capabilities would increase the number of experiments for which sounding rockets could be used as a platform.

Details

Technology area	Propulsion Systems > Chemical Space Propulsion > Integrated Systems and Ancillary Technologies
Program	Center Independent Research & Development: GSFC IRAD (GSFC IRAD)
Lead organization	Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, VA
Start date	2017-10-01
End date	2019-09-30

Project contacts

Listed on TechPort itself — the most direct way to ask about this specific project.

Daniel A Mullinix — daniel.a.mullinix@nasa.gov
Michael G Hitch — michael.g.hitch@nasa.gov
Zachary W Peterson — zachary.w.peterson@nasa.gov
Kenneth E Hall — kenneth.e.hall@nasa.gov
Quinn A Jackson — quinn.a.jackson@nasa.gov

How to get involved

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 3) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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