Episode 547: Spacecraft Gyroscopes And Reaction Wheels. You Can Never Have Enough
It’s amazing to think there are telescopes up in space, right now, directing their gaze at distant objects for hours, days and even weeks. Providing a point of view so stable and accurate that we can learn details about galaxies, exoplanets and more.
And then, when the time is up, the spacecraft can shift its gaze in another direction. All without the use of fuel.
It’s all thanks to the technology of reaction wheels and gyroscopes. Let’s talk about how they work, how they’re different, and how their failure has ended missions in the past.
06:49 Scientists May Have Figure Out Why So Many Spacecraft Were Failing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibT-PEMHUU
Our Book is out!
https://www.amazon.com/Universe-Today-Ultimate-Viewing-Cosmos/dp/1624145442/
Audio Podcast version:
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/universe-today-guide-to-space-audio/id794058155?mt=2
RSS: https://www.universetoday.com/audio
What Fraser's Watching Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbJ42wpShvmkjd428BcHcCEVWOjv7cJ1G
Weekly email newsletter:
https://www.universetoday.com/newsletter
Weekly Space Hangout:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0-KklSGlCiJDwOPdR2EUcg/
Astronomy Cast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUHI67dh9jEO2rvK--MdCSg
Support us at: http://www.patreon.com/universetoday
More stories at: http://www.universetoday.com/
Twitch: https://twitch.tv/fcain
Follow us on Twitter: @universetoday
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universetoday
Instagram - https://instagram.com/universetoday
Team: Fraser Cain - @fcain / [email protected]
Karla Thompson - @karlaii / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEItkORQYd4Wf0TpgYI_1fw
Chad Weber - [email protected]
References:
https://www.nature.com/news/the-wheels-come-off-kepler-1.13032
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/jason-davis/lightsail-2-successful-flight-by-light.html
https://astrobites.org/2013/05/21/kepler-reaction-wheel-failure-cripples-spacecraft-but-mission-thrives/
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/dawn/news/dawn20120418.html
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/blog/2016/1/dawns-sunny-side-views-of-dwarf-planet-ceres/#RWAs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KibT-PEMHUU
https://www.spacetelescope.org/announcements/ann1818/
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/forScientists/faqScientists.html#wheels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFmOr1vMOT4