Development and qualification test of 1.2-Nm torque reaction wheel assembly with low induced vibration

A reaction wheel assembly(RWA) that satisfies the requirement for high torque output and low induced vibration requirements is a critical equipment needed to realize agile maneuvering satellite missions for high-resolution observation. It also enables such missions with smaller size and mass compared to those using control moment gyros. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Precision Co., Ltd. (MPC) have completed the development and qualification test campaign of such a high torque output RWA with low induced vibration. The specifications are as follows: maximum output torque of 1.2 Nm, induced vibration torque of 0.2 Nm (below 200 Hz), total nominal mass of 16.7 kg and electric power consumption of 40 W at steady state and 599 W at maximum acceleration. Flight-proven RWAs mounted on JAXA's ALOS-2 satellite with output torque of 0.9 Nm are the base models for this 1.2-Nm RWA. Moreover, there are plans to manufacture more than ten RWAs of this 1.2-Nm version for JAXA's upcoming satellite missions, such as the Advanced Optical/Radar Satellite Program. This paper describes the successful completion of RWA development and the qualification test campaign in detail.