A Beyond Gravity Appmax pointing mechanism. Photo: Beyond Gravity

Swissto12 has contracted Beyond Gravity to supply thruster pointing mechanisms for its small Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite platform, the HummingSat. The pointing mechanisms are being developed and built at the company’s site in Vienna, Austria, with deliveries between 2026 and 2027.

The pointing mechanism will be based on Beyond Gravity’s product family of APPMAX pointing mechanisms. They will be deployed in the form of a robotic arm that will control the HummingSat satellites’ electric thrusters and keep them on track in orbit. 

Beyond Gravity said that overall, it has orders for more than 100 electric thruster pointing mechanisms. 

“Our thruster pointing mechanism gives satellites the ability to maneuver and hold their position exactly where they need to be, saving fuel and time, while maximizing performance. It allows orbit raising to be carried out in the most efficient way possible,” commented Wolfgang Pawlinetz, vice president of Thermal & Mechanisms at Beyond Gravity. 

The HummingSat is a small GEO comms satellite built by Swissto12. The company is building three for Viasat and one for SES. Beyond Gravity is also supplying Swissto12 with solar array drive mechanisms, which orient solar arrays toward the sun. 

Beyond Gravity, formerly Ruag Space, is an aerospace supplier with a variety of products for satellites and launch vehicles. The company is also supplying payload fairings for ULA Vulcan rockets for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and on-board computers for the MDA Space Aurora satellite line.