The Importance of Slip Rings on the Satellite Systems

A few days ago, China’s space station had to make evasive maneuvers to avoid Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellites. As reported, Starlink satellites launched by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, also known as SpaceX, of the United States of America have had two close encounters with the China Space Station.

Satellites as commonly seen space electromechanical devices have a relatively simple structure, but they have demanding requirements on the components being applied. Why is that? Because most of the aircrafts sent to the space is not collectable. Once the devices malfunction, they are very likely to become space wastes and might become threats to other space crafts as well as astronauts on them. So what’s the cause of this crush down? JINPAT Electronics, as a professional slip ring manufacturer makes a guess. Generally speaking, the situation awareness device and the communication antenna of a satellite need slip rings. And for the space devices and equipment, there are harsh requirements of every component to ensure an accurate orbiting track. This means a rigorous quality control of the slip rings and rotary joints for satellites.

The life span of the situation awareness device determines that of the whole satellite. So is JINPAT Electronics qualified to produce slip rings and rotary components for aviation？ Satellite slip rings have to go pass a series of inspections under extreme temperatures to attain sufficient data about the reliability. JINPAT slip rings can endure temperatures from -80 to 100. This characteristic makes it possible to be applied in a satellite. However, more tests need to be done before application like simulation under long term radiation, extreme temperatures and shock, etc. JINPAT figures that the malfunctioning of the Starlink satellite might be caused by the questionable quality of the satellite components like slip rings that are limited by the tight budget. The space industry tolerates no inaccuracy, even a slight error can lead to breakdown of the space devices.

With an experience R&D team, JINPAT is confident in developing and producing slip rings for satellite and other precision devices. We have numerous successful custom programs with our clients. Feel free to contact JINPAT for wiser slip ring solutions!