NEOSSat

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Near-Earth Object Surveillance Satellite (NEOSSat) is a Canadian microsatellite that was launched in 2013 with a mission to track space debris orbiting the Earth. The satellite uses a high-quality telescope with a 15 cm aperture to gather precise data on the objects it detects. A fascinating aspect of NEOSSat's operation involves its reaction wheels, which are used to maintain the satellite's orientation in space. However, in 2016, a critical failure occurred when the torque rods failed, leaving the reaction wheels without a means to dispose of their momentum. Fortunately, the satellite engineers quickly responded by utilizing the internal dipole of the satellite to redirect the momentum into Earth's magnetic field, thereby mitigating the effects of the failure. For more information on NEOSSat and its remarkable mission, please visit the website at https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/neossat/default.asp. Additionally, researchers have published a comprehensive study on the torque rod failure, which can be accessed online at https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/6.2018-2664.