Component

Reaction Wheel

A spinning flywheel that a spacecraft speeds up or slows down to rotate itself, by conservation of angular momentum, without using any propellant — the workhorse of precise pointing.

Part of Attitude Determination & Control (ADCS)

Highlights

›Turns a spacecraft using no fuel

Knowledge connections

Part ofAttitude Determination & Control (ADCS)

Sources

Facts on this topic will be cited from these primary and reference sources.

NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.
ESAEuropean Space Agency
European missions, observatories, and space science imagery.

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