Superconducting magnetic torquers for high-precision satellite positioning from Zenno Astronautics in Auckland, New Zealand are bringing a new application for high-temperature superconductor tape into the spotlight. The novel devices are attracting innovation funding from Asia-Pacific sources and are set to use HTS tape from Faraday Factory Japan that can conduct electrical currents with zero electrical resistance and an extremely high current density of several hundred amperes per square millimeter.
The company’s Z01 torquer scales to address satellites from 50kg up to space station sized, powering their frequent needs to make spatial adjustments while in orbit. The torquer presents a fuel-free “non-propellant” solution that in 2023 became the first such device to go into space.
Under the hood
“Superconducting magnets generate exceptionally strong magnetic fields with unprecedented efficiency. It is through the power of superconductors that we at Zenno are delivering a new force in space and we will continue to explore this force and develop multiple applications for the benefit of the entire space sector,” says Max Arshavsky, CEO. ”A significant factor in the development of Zenno technology has been that our interest has been focused exclusively on space-based applications. Ground-based applications of superconductivity focus either on exceptionally large current (power generation/transmission) or exceptionally strong fields (MRI, industrial/research applications).”
Generation and control of force in space is a crucial factor in the operation of spacecraft and satellites. Traditional technologies include flywheels, magnetorquers and thrusters but they have drawbacks ranging from power consumption, reliability or simply the need for an expendable fuel.
Over the last five years Zenno has invented a patented platform of technology geared to satellite positioning. A powerful magnetic field can interact with the Earth’s magnetic field or that of nearby satellites or other celestial bodies and counteracting forces generated by flywheels can then allow force generation. Generating these fields requires enormously powerful magnets and Zenno’s initial work identified superconductors as the ideal solution due to their ability to sustain unprecedently high electrical currents with near zero energy losses.
“Superconducting magnets generate exceptionally strong magnetic fields with unprecedented efficiency. It is through the power of super conductors that we at Zenno are delivering a new force in space and we will continue to explore this force and develop multiple applications for the benefit of the entire space sector,” says Arshavsky. The research has now matured to include a broad range of applications that require powerful and precise control of force in space such as attitude control, docking, satellite swarms and even orbit boosting by other physical means.
The immediate aim, however, is to provide an alternative to traditional methods of satellite attitude control. The performance of Zenno’s solution scales non-linearly and can eclipse that of comparable traditional magnetorquers in size, weight and power. To achieve the aims, several logical but disparate concepts were combined. Zenno’s approach includes liquid cryogen-free thermal management and wireless energization of the electromagnets in space.
Market penetration
In January, Zenno allied with ANA Trading, a member of Japan’s leading airline group that is broadening into the space business in Japan. “We are excited to be part of the Japanese space ecosystem with our partnership with ANA Trading,” said Arshavsky. “This collaboration will accelerate our growth in the Japanese market and supports Zenno’s vision to build for life in space. “Our mission is to create enabling and highly scalable technologies that will allow humanity to prosper in space without dependence on Earth’s resources, such as the need for fuel, radiation shielding, and frequent resupply of spacecraft in orbit.”
The deal followed a funding round in November which brought the backing of prominent venture capital investors and industrial companies in Japan including Global Brain, one of the largest venture capital firms in Japan, ANA and Mitsubishi Electric. Zenno also has been awarded development grants from innovation funding in New Zealand.
HTS tape from Faraday Factory Japan
Last year, Zenno and Faraday Factory Japan partnered to collaborate on the development of HTS magnets for space applications. “Faraday Factory is cooperating with Zenno to improve mankind’s capabilities in space with new HTS-based technologies, said Sergey Lee, CEO. “As it always has been, advancements in space will improve millions of lives down here on Earth. In the frame of our cooperation, we will bring in our leading competence and expertise in HTS tape technology to improve Zenno’s space-related devices.”
In September, the fast-growing company passed a milestone of 5,000 km, or 1 Giga-Ampere-meter, cumulative deliveries of high-temperature superconductor wire to fusion companies. The users of this enabling superconductor material are spread over four continents and pursue different fusion concepts – tokamak, stellarator, levitating dipole, and magnetic mirror. Superconductors produced by Faraday Factory Japan can be found in almost all fusion machine prototypes currently under development.
New technologies are the backbone of the energy transition to a zero-carbon economy, he notes, and HTS enables the most disruptive of them such as compact fusion and electrical aviation while making cheaper other efforts like low loss transmission and lightweight wind generators. “The small production and high cost of HTS used to be a showstopper, but now it is about to change. The HTS price went down by a factor of 2 in 5 years. The next 5 years will see HTS becoming cheaper than copper,” says Lee.
“Building upon our vast practical experience, we have drafted a robust plan to build the world’s largest factory for the production of state-of-the-art HTS tapes. As demand continues to exponentially unfold, Faraday Factory Japan will become a model to copy-paste, eventually leading to a billion-sized market by 2030.”
For more info, see www.zenno.space and www.faradaygroup.com.
