Gimbal for Steering Propelled CubeSats

About this technology

Overview

NASA is preparing for the next generation of CubeSats that are propelled and will make directional maneuvers. The new gimbal mount provides a seat for the motor and controls the position of the thrusters that propel the CubeSat as it moves about and/or changes orbits. This small-footprint device controls the rotation (360 degrees) and tilt (+/- 12 degrees) of a directional system to a very high accuracy (0.02 degrees). It alleviates the need for more traditional directional control hardware, including magnetorquers and magnetometers. The gimbal controls larger masses for its size than other positioning systems. It has a low parts count (six) and can support up to 0.5 kg mass. NASA built a prototype and conducted several tests to prove its control and precision capabilities, and its ability to withstand vibration testing. Now NASA seeks companies to commercialize the gimbal.