Project of reaction wheel assembly for attitude control of nanosatellites

CubeSats are making space exploration more accessible are are being launched in greater numbers than ever before. In order to enable their use for optical communication links between satellite constellations, precise and reliable attitude determination and control systems (ADCS) are needed. The present thesis describes the development of a mechanical reaction wheel assembly that is built from off-the-shelf and additively manufactured components for the attitude control of CubeSats. Furthermore, a numerical simulation model has been set up to simulate the attitude dynamics of a nanosatellite and validate its attitude control by a reaction wheel-based ADCS. As results of the thesis, parts for a complete mechanical assembly have been manufactured. It has been shown through simulations that the chosen reaction wheel configurations are able to effectively control the attitude of a nanosatellite even in case of a reaction wheel failure