EVOLUTION OF THE MOMENTS OF RESISTANCE TO ROTATION OF RW20-250/T REACTION WHEEL ROTORS ACCORDING TO THE RESULTS OF SEVEN-YEAR OPERATION OF "METEOR-M" № 2 SATELLITE
Reaction wheels, as actuating devices of spacecrafts attitude control systems, have a number of technical characteristics, which essentially define the attainable level of the attitude control systems quality level. One of these characteristics is the moment of resistance to rotation of reaction wheel rotor. Exploration of this characteristic during the ground tests does not provide valid results for several reasons: action of gravity, unattainable level of space vacuum, absence of space radiation. A method for evaluation of the moment of resistance to rotation of the reaction wheel rotors of Meteor-M №2 satellite according to telemetry data generated by the attitude control system is suggested. The results of the research covering seven years of Meteor-M №2 satellite flight operation are presented. The probable conditions, which may influence the values of resistance moments, are specified; further expected lifetime is evaluated as well.