An Overview on Aerospatiale Magnetic Bearing Products for Spacecraft Attitude Control and for Industry

For the last 25 years, AEROSPATIAhLaEs worked on magnetic bearing technology and has been awarded contracts with many customers in order to develop equipment for flight and ground applications. Two generations of magnetic bearing reaction wheels are already in flight, onboard observation satellites : - first, on SPOT and ERS with 15 wheels in flight on 5 satellites, - second, on HELIOS spacecraft with 3 wheels in flight. Total cumulated flight time is now more than 65 years without any problem. AEROSPATIAMLEag netic Bearings are based on the use of permanent magnets and on the control of the rotor around a zero force equilibrium point. The present developments of magnetic bearing wheels for space applications focus on the versatility of a basic design which leads to a family of reaction and momentum wheels with tailored torque and kinetic momentum, leading to competitive mass and cost. The present industrial applications concern kinetic energy accumulators, medical X-ray rotating devices, avionics equipment, cryotechnic coinpressors and vacuum pumps.