Session
Poster Session 1
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
Reaction wheels are a widely used solution for CubeSat attitude control, offering precise pointing capabilities without the need for a propulsion system. However, sizing reaction wheels correctly is a persistent challenge due to the difficulty of accurately defining the pointing budget, which determines the required torque and momentum storage capacity. Designers must account for mission-specific constraints, spacecraft mass properties, and environmental disturbances, all of which introduce uncertainty into the sizing process. As a result, reaction wheels are often either oversized, leading to unnecessary mass and power consumption, or undersized, risking performance failures such as saturation. To address this challenge, a more systematic and adaptive approach to reaction wheel sizing is needed.
This paper introduces a novel iterative sensitivity analysis tool that simplifies pointing budget generation and automates reaction wheel sizing, ensuring an optimized solution tailored to mission-specific constraints. Unlike conventional sizing methods that rely on static estimates, this tool incorporates variations in spacecraft mass properties, external torques, and operational scenarios to impact pointing stability and reaction wheel performance. By allowing users to input ranges rather than single-point estimates for key parameters, such as aerodynamic torque, solar radiation pressure, gravity gradient torque, and payload-induced disturbances, the tool dynamically refines the pointing budget and reaction wheel sizing recommendations based on worst-case, nominal, and best-case scenarios.
To further assist designers, the tool includes a reaction wheel margin calculator, which evaluates how close a selected configuration is to saturation under different operating conditions. This prevents both overdesign and underperformance by ensuring that the selected wheels provide adequate control authority across all mission phases. Additionally, the tool features adaptive control mode profiling, allowing CubeSat developers to explore how different operating conditions, such as imaging, communications, or standby, affect pointing requirements and wheel sizing.
The methodology is validated through FreeFlyer simulations, case studies, and comparisons with existing CubeSat missions. Results demonstrate that incorporating iterative sensitivity analysis and adaptive control mode profiling enables designers to fine-tune reaction wheel selection with greater confidence while reducing unnecessary mass, power consumption, and cost. By automating these processes and integrating real-world variability into the design workflow, this tool reduces engineering effort, minimizes design risk, and ensures reliable attitude control system performance in diverse operational conditions.
Document Type
Event
Automated Pointing Budget and Reaction Wheel Sizing Tool for CubeSat Attitude Control With Iterative Sensitivity Analysis
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Reaction wheels are a widely used solution for CubeSat attitude control, offering precise pointing capabilities without the need for a propulsion system. However, sizing reaction wheels correctly is a persistent challenge due to the difficulty of accurately defining the pointing budget, which determines the required torque and momentum storage capacity. Designers must account for mission-specific constraints, spacecraft mass properties, and environmental disturbances, all of which introduce uncertainty into the sizing process. As a result, reaction wheels are often either oversized, leading to unnecessary mass and power consumption, or undersized, risking performance failures such as saturation. To address this challenge, a more systematic and adaptive approach to reaction wheel sizing is needed.
This paper introduces a novel iterative sensitivity analysis tool that simplifies pointing budget generation and automates reaction wheel sizing, ensuring an optimized solution tailored to mission-specific constraints. Unlike conventional sizing methods that rely on static estimates, this tool incorporates variations in spacecraft mass properties, external torques, and operational scenarios to impact pointing stability and reaction wheel performance. By allowing users to input ranges rather than single-point estimates for key parameters, such as aerodynamic torque, solar radiation pressure, gravity gradient torque, and payload-induced disturbances, the tool dynamically refines the pointing budget and reaction wheel sizing recommendations based on worst-case, nominal, and best-case scenarios.
To further assist designers, the tool includes a reaction wheel margin calculator, which evaluates how close a selected configuration is to saturation under different operating conditions. This prevents both overdesign and underperformance by ensuring that the selected wheels provide adequate control authority across all mission phases. Additionally, the tool features adaptive control mode profiling, allowing CubeSat developers to explore how different operating conditions, such as imaging, communications, or standby, affect pointing requirements and wheel sizing.
The methodology is validated through FreeFlyer simulations, case studies, and comparisons with existing CubeSat missions. Results demonstrate that incorporating iterative sensitivity analysis and adaptive control mode profiling enables designers to fine-tune reaction wheel selection with greater confidence while reducing unnecessary mass, power consumption, and cost. By automating these processes and integrating real-world variability into the design workflow, this tool reduces engineering effort, minimizes design risk, and ensures reliable attitude control system performance in diverse operational conditions.
