Spacecraft including a spacecraft bus. An additive manufacturing system of the spacecraft bus including at least one extruder for delivering feedstock to print an object outside of the spacecraft bus. A sensor for determining a pose of the spacecraft bus relative to an astronomical body. At least one processor in communication with the additive manufacturing system and the sensor, controls an operation of the additive manufacturing system as a function of the pose of the spacecraft bus, to manufacture the object outside of the spacecraft bus.

Disclosed is a magnetic-fluid momentum sphere, which is used for satellite attitude adjustment. The magnetic-fluid momentum sphere comprises stators and a spherical shell. The stators are classified into three groups, axes of the three groups of stators are orthogonal to each other, each group comprises two stators arranged symmetrically about the center of the spherical shell, and the inner surfaces of the stators are spherical surfaces. The spherical shell is formed by combining two hemispherical shells, the material of the spherical shell is a non-ferromagnetic material, the inner surfaces of the stators closely adhere to the outer surface of the spherical shell, there is no relative movement between the spherical shell and the inner surfaces of the stators, and the spherical shell is filled with magnetic fluid. The magnetic-fluid momentum sphere achieves a small size and mass, low costs, and small coupling among the axes.

An attitude determination and control system (ADCS) may include relatively large momentum wheels (i.e., reaction wheels) for improved momentum storage and magnetic torque rods that enable low power sun pointing and dissipate angular momentum imparted during deployment or by differential drag on the space vehicle. The momentum wheels, magnetic torque rods, or both may be algorithmically selected and driven to perform various maneuvers.

Disclosed is a satellite including a cylindrical main body, the main body having an inner wall defining an inner space and an outer wall, and extending along a main axis between a lower end surface and an upper end surface, at least one of the lower end surface and the upper end surface including an interface mechanism intended for engaging with a complementary interface mechanism of another satellite or of a launcher, the satellite also including at least one external device attached to the outer wall of the main body, the outer device extending to project transversely from the outer wall relative to the main axis.

The invention relates to a flywheel device for position stabilization of a spacecraft, comprising a carrier (1), a rotor (2), a magnetic drive (4) for the rotatingly driving the rotor (2) relative to the carrier (1), and a roller bearing (3) arranged between the rotor (2) and the carrier (1). A magnetic force can be generated between the rotor (2) and the carrier (1) by means of the magnetic drive (4) in order to pre-stress the rolling bearing (3). The outer diameter (A) of the rotor (2) can have, for example, only a maximum of 2.5 times of the rolling bearing diameter (W).

Energy efficient satellite maneuvering is described herein. One disclosed example method includes maneuvering a satellite that is in an orbit around a space body so that a principle sensitive axis of the satellite is oriented to an orbit frame plane to reduce gravity gradient torques acting upon the satellite. The orbit frame plane is based on an orbit frame vector.

Energy efficient satellite maneuvering is described herein. One disclosed example method includes maneuvering a satellite that is in an orbit around a space body so that a principle sensitive axis of the satellite is oriented to an orbit frame plane to reduce gravity gradient torques acting upon the satellite. The orbit frame plane is based on an orbit frame vector.

An inertial actuation magnetohydrodynamic wheel (2) comprising a torus-shaped fluid ring (3) filled with a conductive liquid, at least one effective area (24, 26, 28) for setting the liquid into motion, and at least one magnetohydrodynamic pump (4, 6, 8). The ratio of the set back distance of any magnetic conduction element (24, 26, 28) of the air gap of any electromagnetic pump (4, 6, 8) over the internal size of the fluid ring (3) is greater than or equal to 0.5 and the fluid ring (3) comprises at least two distinct effective areas (24, 26), for setting the conductive liquid into motion, angularly spaced apart by at least 120.

Described herein are systems and methods for attitude determination using infrared Earth horizon sensors (EHSs) with Gaussian response characteristics. Attitude information is acquired by detecting Earth's infrared electromagnetic radiation and, subsequently, determining the region obscured by Earth in the sensors' fields of view to compute a nadir vector estimation in the spacecraft's body frame. The method can be applied when two sensors, each with known and distinct pointing directions, detect the horizon, which is defined as having their fields of view partially obscured by Earth. The method can be implemented compactly to provide high-accuracy attitude within small spacecraft, such as CubeSat-based satellites.

Embodiments of Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA) systems are provided, which include multi-faceted bracket structures to which RWAs are mounted. In one embodiment, the RWA system includes a bracket structure, which is assembled from multiple (e.g., two to four) interchangeable panels. Each bracket panel may define or include a mount bracket to which an RWA is mounted. In certain embodiments, the bracket panels may include integral bearing cartridge features, which contain the spin bearings of the RWAs. The interchangeable panels may have interconnect features, which align and which possibly interlock to position the panels in a precise angular relationship when the multi-faceted bracket structure is assembled. In other embodiments wherein the bracket structure is assembled from two interchangeable panels or produced as a single piece, the multi-faceted bracket structure may have a peaked form factor supportive of two RWAs, which are mounted to the bracket structure in a back-to-back relationship.