The redundant attitude control system of MRC-100 PocketQube satellite

In this article the magnetic attitude control system of MRC-100 – a 3 unit PocketQube satellite – is presented. Custom machined ferromagnetic core and air core magnetorquers are used to produce angular momentum in the satellite body utilizing Earth’s magnetic field on Low Earth Orbit. The PocketQube standard limits the size of the available space so all magnetorquers are carefully designed to meet the requirements while staying within the power budget. A prototype is realized to validate the concept of the tiny magnetorquer before integrating it into the flight model. It is repurposed as educational material for space engineering master course students.