Common Space Vehicle Mechanisms
Actuators at a Glance
Northrop Grumman has been delivering space mechanisms for stowing and articulating spacecraft payloads and solar arrays for 40+ years with 100% mission success and our modular actuators are represented on over 50 missions.
Our designs specialize in:
- Long-life or high-use missions
- Low disturbance (induced vibrations reduced for simultaneous operation of payloads)
- Precision pointing (higher altitude missions)
Heritage Products
Deployment Actuators (TRL 9)
Mechanisms to deploy structure or to spool cables. High torque output with current limit drive, or stepper motor (or micro-stepping for low disturbance).
- Continuous rotation
- Cable winder mechanisms have two assemblies:
- Cable Drive Module (CDM)
- Current Limiter Assembly (CLA)
Solar Array Drive Assembly (TRL 9)
Provides transmission of solar power and electronic signals between solar array and spacecraft; custom or modular slip ring designs for full 360-degree rotation or cable wrap design for limited angle rotations; EMI shielding; Electrically redundant
- SADA with limited travel (cable management system)
- Provides bi-directional rotation to maintain limited angle positioning of the solar array
- Provides absolute angular position knowledge
- SADA with continuous rotation (slip ring)
- Provides continual 360-degree rotation of the solar array to maintain solar orientation
- Provides null position information (via switch ring 1X/Rev)
- Configurable items:
- Modular Slip ring - scalable power with 20 or 30 ring modules; Up to four modules (max 120 circuits)
- Position Feedback: Switch Ring/Poten
