Custom-designed air bearing platforms for satellite ADCS hardware ground testing and validation.
Customized Air Bearing System
Custom-designed air bearing platforms for satellite ADCS hardware ground testing and validation.
Description
ElmSpace offers customized air bearing systems for ground-based testing and simulation of satellite attitude control hardware. Air bearings create an essentially frictionless platform that simulates the torque-free environment of space, enabling accurate validation of ADCS hardware — reaction wheels, gyroscopes, magnetorquers, and fluid-dynamic attitude control systems — prior to launch.
Designed and manufactured by ElmSpace to customer specifications, these air bearing platforms allow engineers to test three-axis attitude control algorithms, validate sensor performance, and characterize actuator behavior in a controlled laboratory environment. ElmSpace applies its expertise in precision fluid-dynamic systems to deliver stable, low-friction bearing platforms.
The TU Berlin Technosat mission is a documented example of ElmSpace air bearings used for ADCS verification testing. Customization options are available for platform size, load capacity, axis configuration, and mechanical interface.
Specifications
| Type | Customized air bearing for ADCS ground testing |
|---|---|
| Simulation | Frictionless torque-free environment for 3-axis testing |
| Flight heritage | Used in TU Berlin Technosat ADCS testing campaign |
| Customization | Platform size, load capacity, interface — per customer requirements |
