SENER Aeroespacial’s actuators successfully operating in-space aboard Hotbird 13F (Image Credit: Sat News)
The first six actuators of the more than 100 currently in series production by SENER Aeroespacial have been successfully launched and operated in space aboard the Hotbird 13F satellite (artistic rendition of the 13F above).
The Hotbird13F satellite is the first satellite based on the 100% electric Neosat platform. The actuators of the DTA10 series operate on the electric propulsion module of the Nosaat and Onesat platforms and on the deployable radiator of Airbus Space and Defence‘s Neosat platform. The company’s actuators have already performed the pointing of the spacecraft’s electric thrusters, which is critical for the spacecraft to reach its operational orbital position.
These actuators reach TRL9 level, culminating a design, verification and validation process initiated with the firm’s own R&D funds and an ARTES program. This effort responded to the strategic decision to provide the market with a family of rotary actuators with high holding torque (DTA) and which are manufactured in series continuously from 2018 to the present day.
The rotary actuator R&D activity has developed other models of various sizes and performance, offering the market a product family that covers a wide spectrum of performance and functionalities. All our DTA actuators also include our SUM electric motors, designed and manufactured at SENER Aerospace. Another element of the DTA family is, for example, the DTA6-201 actuator, which will fly on the Spainsat mission.
