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Today's Teslarati article SpaceX wants to offer Starlink internet to consumers after just six launches talks about the new website https://www.starlink.com/ shows several images from it, and tries to describe some of the bits on the Starlink spaceraft itself.

enter image description here

Caption for full image, shown is a cropped section.

Starlink’s star trackers (left; used for precise pointing and positioning) and what are likely four gyros, also used for pointing and orientation. (SpaceX)

I don't think the satellites have cold gas thrusters, but there is one Hall effect ion thruster for orbital maneuvers (e.g. raising, lowering, phasing, station-keeping).

Question: What are the strategies that are available to the Starlink satellites for momentum-unloading of the control gyros?

uhoh
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1 Answers1

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Per Elon via twitter, magnetic torquers.

Magnetic torque rods for desaturation of momentum wheels.

BowlOfRed
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