The Attitude and Orbit Control System (AOCS) plays an essential role in the flight control of a spacecraft. This system usually contains a minimum of three reaction wheels (often 4-5 wheels are used for optimization and redundancy). By accelerating the appropriate wheels, the system can produce a zero-mean reaction torque about any axis to the spacecraft, which enables the spacecraft to maneuver on orbit. Meanwhile, the momentum generated by acceleration can be stored in the wheels.Lincoln Laboratory. Advanced Concepts Committe