ScienceAugust 6, 2026

magnetorquers

mag-NEE-tor-twur-kurz

Definition

Electromagnetic components on a spacecraft that interact with a planet's magnetic field to control the satellite's orientation or attitude.

Etymology

Derived from a combination of 'magnetic' and 'torquer', where 'torquer' comes from the Latin 'torquere', meaning to twist or rotate.

In the news

In the MAVERIC satellite mission, these devices allow the spacecraft to generate its own magnetic field to adjust its position and orientation in orbit.

Q&A: David Barnhart on how USC is building the future of space

Read the full article ↗

USC Today

Related words

biphotons

A pair of entangled photons that act together as a single unit, exhibiting properties…

Science

cobots

Collaborative robots designed to work alongside humans in a shared space rather than…

Science

endometrium

The mucous membrane lining the uterus, which thickens and becomes receptive to a…

Science

exopolysaccharides

Long chains of sugar molecules secreted by bacteria into their surrounding environment to…

Science

ichthyologist

A scientist who specializes in the study of fishes.

Science

micrograph

An image or photograph produced by means of a microscope to show an object at a scale…

Science

Learn a word like this every day

Meet one new word every morning.

Newspoken pulls one carefully chosen word from the day’s news — with a clear definition, context, and light review that makes it stick. Get it on your phone.