Signal New Satellite Control Technology Reaches Commercialisation

Summary

A miniaturized control moment gyroscope developed by Belgian company Veoware has reached commercialization. Each 4.2-kilogram unit is installed four to a spacecraft, using flywheels spinning up to 10,000 rpm to enable maneuvers roughly 2.5 times faster than conventional reaction wheels while consuming no propellant. The device was developed over more than a decade with funding and technical support from ESA's General Support Technology Programme, Element 2. It targets the 50-to-500-kilogram small and medium satellite market, aiming to fill a gap in European commercial supply. It is designed to withstand continuous operation in vacuum for seven to eight years.