// ORBITAL LOGISTICS AND PROPULSION TERM
Slew
To slew means to quickly turn or rotate a spacecraft or its instruments from one direction to another. It's like pointing a camera rapidly at a new target.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
Slew refers to the rapid rotational maneuver of a spacecraft or its onboard instruments, such as sensors or antennas, to reorient its pointing vector from an initial target to a new desired target, often involving high angular rates.
BACKGROUND
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. It is the largest telescope in space, and is equipped with high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments, allowing it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. This enables investigations across many fields of astronomy and cosmology, such as observation of the first stars and the formation of the first galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Reorient
- Rotate
- Turn
- Point
- Maneuver
- Swivel
USAGE NOTE
Slew rates are critical for agile satellites needing to image multiple targets quickly.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Slew.
A subsidiary of Raytheon, Blue Canyon Technologies specializes in small satellite manufacturing and attitude control systems. They produce high-performance reaction wheels, star trackers, and complete Attitude Determination and Control Systems (ADCS) that enable rapid and precise slewing for small spacecraft.
Moog is a worldwide designer and manufacturer of motion and fluid controls for aerospace and defense. Their Space and Defense Group provides critical components for spacecraft attitude control, including reaction wheels, control moment gyroscopes (CMGs), and propulsion systems used for slewing and pointing maneuvers.
A major provider of aerospace systems, Honeywell develops and manufactures advanced guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) hardware. This includes reaction wheel assemblies and control moment gyroscopes which are essential for the attitude control and rapid slewing of satellites and large space structures like the International Space Station.
L3Harris provides a wide range of space and airborne systems. Their portfolio includes high-performance star trackers, pointing and stabilization gimbals, and complete guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) systems that are fundamental to a spacecraft's ability to accurately and rapidly reorient, or slew.
A non-profit research and development organization, Draper has a long history of pioneering guidance, navigation, and control systems since the Apollo program. They continue to develop advanced algorithms and fault-tolerant avionics that enable highly precise pointing, stabilization, and slew maneuvers for national security and scientific spacecraft.
A French subsidiary of ArianeGroup, Sodern is a world leader in the design and manufacture of star trackers. These instruments are critical sensors that provide high-accuracy attitude determination, allowing a spacecraft's control system to execute precise and stable slew maneuvers.
While known for launch services, Rocket Lab's space systems division produces the Photon satellite bus. Photon is a highly configurable spacecraft platform equipped with a complete attitude control system, including reaction wheels and thrusters, designed to perform complex in-space maneuvers like rapid slewing for imaging or communication.
This company specializes in spacecraft attitude and orbit control systems (AOCS). They produce a range of components including reaction wheels, sun sensors, and non-toxic propulsion systems (thrusters) that are integrated to control a satellite's orientation and execute slew maneuvers.