Contract Awarded to Deliver Thruster Pointing Mechanisms for HummingSat Satellites
SWISSto12 Awards Major Contract to Beyond Gravity
Electric propulsion pointing mechanisms for five SWISSto12 HummingSat satellites will be developed and delivered by Beyond Gravity. The small geostationary HummingSat telecommunications satellites will use Beyond Gravity’s pointing mechanisms in the form of a multi-axis robotic arm to control the satellites’ electric thrusters to keep them exactly on track 22,236 miles above Earth.
“Our thruster pointing mechanism gives satellites the ability to maneuver and hold their position exactly where they need to be.”
Wolfgang Pawlinetz, Beyond Gravity
The Beyond Gravity multi-axis mechanism for HummingSat satellites is based on the company’s proven product family of APPMAX pointing mechanisms.
“Our thruster pointing mechanism gives satellites the ability to maneuver and hold their position exactly where they need to be, saving fuel and time, while maximizing performance,” said Wolfgang Pawlinetz, VP of Thermal & Mechanisms at Beyond Gravity.
After launch and deployment into space, satellites still face the critical challenge of reaching their final orbit. “That’s where our technology comes in. It allows orbit raising to be carried out in the most efficient way possible,” Pawlinetz said.
With orders for more than 100 electric thruster pointing mechanisms, Beyond Gravity is one of the world’s leading suppliers in this field.
“With this thruster pointing mechanism, we are setting a new industry standard. We have developed a product that clearly stands out from the competition thanks to its high flexibility based on modular elements, as well as its scalability, and series production based on our industrial processes,” said Oliver Grassmann, EVP Satellites at Beyond Gravity. The pointing mechanisms are being developed and built at the company’s site in Vienna, Austria, with deliveries between 2026 and 2027.
For its customer SWISSto12, Beyond Gravity also provides solar array drive mechanisms from its Zurich site with sliprings from its Nyon site. The company’s solar array drive mechanisms precisely orient solar arrays towards the sun, making sure the spacecraft receives sufficient solar energy for its operations. A slip ring is an electromechanical device that enables the transmission of power and electrical signals from a stationary to a rotating structure.