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Superconducting magnet launches aboard Starburst-1 spacecraft
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supersquirrel lemmy.ca supersquirrel@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2026-08-07
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Zenno's Supertorquer technology uses superconducting magnets to interact with Earth's magnetic field. These interactions could provide a way for spacecraft to control their orientation or movement without relying entirely on conventional propulsion systems.

Superconductors carry electrical current with little resistance when cooled below their operating temperature. This characteristic allows engineers to produce strong magnetic fields while reducing electrical losses. High-temperature superconductors operate at higher temperatures than conventional superconducting materials, although they still require cooling.

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pageflight piefed.social pageflight@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-09-04
#2 · Quote Reply

The company's site has a chart that claims about 10 mN*m of torque at 20,000 km altitude, where GPS satellites are (much higher than the ISS). And another chart lower down says it takes something like 40W. I'm not sure how that compares to other satellite propulsion.

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