Bearings are important enabling components in spacecraft, particularly in reaction wheels, which play such a crucial role in attitude control and rely on accurate movements.
Bearings enable the smooth rotation of reaction wheels, allowing precise orientation and stabilization of satellites. The demanding environment of space requires bearings that can withstand extreme temperatures, vacuum conditions, and high radiation.
In this article we share some basic advice on how to choose the most suitable bearings for your needs along with information on options from across the global market.
If you’re familiar with how bearings for reaction wheels work and would instead like to skip straight down to the information about the products on the market, please click here.
Advice on selecting bearings for reaction wheels
Aside from the typical engineering considerations for any space purchase (e.g. size, weight, volume, and cost, SWaP-C, budget and vendor expertise and customer service) here are some specific criteria to weigh up when selecting a reaction wheel bearings supplier:
Material
The choice of materials is crucial for the performance and durability of bearings in space. Here are the typical materials in use:
- Ceramic – known for their high hardness and low friction, ceramic bearings are ideal for the harsh conditions of space. They offer excellent resistance to wear and thermal stability.
- Stainless steel – with high strength and corrosion resistance, stainless steel bearings are commonly used in space applications. They provide reliable performance in both vacuum and temperature extremes.
- Hybrid – combining ceramic and steel, hybrid bearings leverage the benefits of both materials, offering enhanced performance and durability.
Lubrication solutions
Lubrication is essential for reducing friction and wear in bearings, but traditional lubricants can evaporate in a vacuum. Advanced lubrication solutions are employed to ensure long-term performance, such as:
- Solid lubricants – materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and graphite provide effective lubrication without the risk of evaporation. These lubricants form a thin film on the bearing surfaces, reducing friction.
- Vacuum-compatible greases – specially formulated greases are designed to withstand the vacuum of space, maintaining their lubricating properties over extended periods.
Precision engineering options
High-precision manufacturing techniques ensure the reliability and performance of bearings in reaction wheels, which you may want to consider in your purchase decision, such as:
- Surface finishing – advanced surface finishing techniques reduce friction and wear, enhancing the longevity of bearings.
- Tight tolerances – precision engineering ensures that bearings meet tight tolerances, crucial for the smooth operation of reaction wheels.
Configurations
Bearings for reaction wheels and space applications come in various configurations to meet different design and performance requirements, for example:
- Angular contact bearings – designed to handle both radial and axial loads, these bearings are ideal for reaction wheels where precise alignment is essential.
- Deep groove ball bearings – offering high load-carrying capacity and low friction, deep groove ball bearings are versatile and commonly used in space mechanisms.
- Thin section bearings – with reduced cross-section, these bearings provide high performance while minimizing weight and space, critical for space applications.
Reaction wheel bearings on the global market
This section includes a variety of bearings for reaction wheels available on the global market today. Click on the links to open pages with more detail on each system.
From these pages you can submit requests for quotes, documents, or further information by the supplier, and we’ll handle the request for you (find out more about how this all works here).
If you want to shortcut this process, or need some assistance refining either your specific bearings or more general attitude actuator requirements, you can instead submit an open tender and our expert procurement team will get back to you ASAP.
Barden UK manufactures super precision ball bearings and assemblies, producing sophisticated precision bearing products for the space industry.
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Schatz Bearing Corporation is a ball bearing manufacturer serving the aerospace & defense, semiconductor, automation & robotics, and other industries.
IEC is helping to advance technologies in communications in space, where their satellite engineering components can deal with absolute zero conditions
NBC develops advanced design, testing and validation capabilities and is gearing up to provide aerospace-bearing solutions.
Schaeffler develops and manufactures high-precision special bearing systems and components with high performance requirements for space applications.
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Resources and further reading
At the links below you can find a range of satsearch articles that will be useful for learning more about this topic, or that feature other categories of technologies which you may need to consider in your mission.
- Reaction wheels on the global market
- Parts of satellites
- Control moment gyroscopes
- CubeSat thrusters and in-space propulsion
- Software-defined radios (SDRs) for space
- Laser communication systems for space
- On-board computers (OBCs) for space
- Optical payloads for space
- A brief introduction to the space supply chain