The Detumbler device, which weighs approximately 100 grams, connects to satellites that are nearing the end of their useful life. It has a central rotor wheel and magnets that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, acting as a compass in normal orbit. If the satellite begins to roll unpredictably, eddy currents appear in the rotor and create friction, slowing down the motion.
Developed in 2021 with the support of the French space agency CNES, Detumbler is designed to reduce the risk of collisions and uncontrolled returns by making the orbit of used satellites more predictable.
Demonstration tests on the Exo-0 nanosatellite will be conducted in early 2024.
Source: Ferra
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