Thruster pointing mechanisms to be supplied for HummingSat small GEO satellites by Beyond Gravity
NewsOctober 01, 2025
VIENNA, Austria. Beyond Gravity won a contract to supply electric propulsion pointing mechanisms for a fleet of five small geostationary HummingSat telecommunications satellites built by SWISSto12, the company announced in a statement.
The pointing mechanisms, which function as multi-axis robotic arms, are designed to control the satellites’ electric thrusters for orbit-raising and maintaining precise station-keeping at 35,786 kilometers above Earth, the statement reads. The mechanisms are based on the company’s APPMAX product family and will be developed and built at the Beyond Gravity facility in Vienna, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2027, the company says.
According to the statement, the technology is intended to help satellites reach their final orbital position efficiently after launch, saving fuel and time. Beyond Gravity also states it has orders for more than 100 electric thruster pointing mechanisms.
In addition to the pointing mechanisms, Beyond Gravity will provide solar array drive mechanisms from its Zurich site for the SWISSto12 HummingSat program, which are used to orient the satellites' solar panels toward the sun, the statement adds.
