On 25/08/2020 09:34, Andy Burns wrote:
Clive Arthur wrote:

You simply can't generate/supply a torque indefinitely without
something to react against.Â* If you could 'meddle with the laws of
physics' in such a way, satellite manufacturers would be beating a
path to your door.

How does a reaction wheel differ from a flywheel then?

Both gyros and reaction wheels are used, I think gyros are more compact,
but they both need to be periodically reset with a burst of rockety gas
stuff (or something reacting against the earth's magnetic field I think,
or maybe solar wind, ask an expert) if required to compensate for a
constant applied torque.

Reactionless torque is like reactionless drive, it needs a special sort
of physics found only on YouTube.

--
Cheers
Clive