overload event, such as might occur during launch, the bearing may not run sufficiently smoothly and may  fail prematurely (Ref. 2). Over the years, bearing and mechanism designers have developed at least four main strategies to overcome this problem. One strategy is to devise mechanism locking features to divert loads around the bearings through other  static structures thereby protecting precision bearing rolling surfaces. Another strategy is to carefully design and tailor internal bearing geometry to increase the load capacity of the ball-race contact. A third approach involves careful orientation of the mechanism with respect to the anticipated static load direction such that any damage that occurs is manifested outside the rolling contact zone. Finally,  judicious material selection can be done leading to the use of race materials with heightened load capability. Unfortunately, each of these strategies carries inherent disadvantages. Locking mechanisms can be complex to design, add weight and can fail to deploy correctly. This can lead  to failure of the mechanism these devices are supposed to protect. Careful design of the bearing geometry, increasing conformity of the race-ball contact, can reduce stress levels but leads to increased operating friction. Further, such geometrical changes have only a marginal effect on load capability. The  number and size of the bearing balls can be changed to maximize load capacity but this has the effect of increasing cage friction and reducing cage strength and lubricant reservoir capacity. Preferential  orientation of a payload within the spacecraft can only alleviate predictable, directional launch loads such as vertical acceleration. Such an approach is ineffective for random vibrational loads. Finally, choosing higher strength materials such as substitution of high carbide tool steel for martensitic stainless steel has other tradeoffs like poor corrosion resistance (Ref. 3). Clearly there is a need for a fresh approach to enhance a bearing’s ability to withstand static contact loads in spacecraft mechanisms. The use of superelastic intermetallic materials (SIMs) is such an approach.   Superelastic Intermetallic Materials like 60NiTi have been researched sporadically for over half a century  but only recently have they been considered and matured for use in rolling element bearings (Refs. 4 and 5). Their use in highly loaded, high contact stress devices like bearings and gears initially appears  counter intuitive. Traditional mechanical component materials like tool steel and silicon nitride have highhardness and elastic modulus and very limited elastic strain deformation range. These properties give  components like bearings very high stiffness thus limiting deflection under load resulting in precise and predictable motion control, low friction, and long life. Superelastic materials, like 60NiTi, exhibit material properties that differ significantly from those for traditional bearing materials. The NiTi alloys have an elastic modulus (stiffness) that is less than half that for steel and one third that of ceramics like silicon nitride. Despite developing high hardness comparable to tool steel through heat  treatment, the superelastics can endure very large strains (5 percent or more) in a fully elastic manner.  This elastic range is an order of magnitude or more higher than steel and ceramic. The uni que  combination of properties (high hardness, relatively low modulus, high elastic strain range) results in high resistance to concentrated contact damage such as Brinell indentation denting. In a series of earlier studies, hardened 60NiTi flat plate surfaces were dented with silicon nitride balls to  determine its resistance to damage and to establish stress limits for bearing design guidance (Ref. 6). It  was shown that increases in contact stress led to an increase in permanent dent depth. Further it was found that, on a stress basis, 60NiTi’s capability fell between that of 440C stainless steel and the high carbide content REX20 tool steel. Figure 1 depicts the stress-dent depth behavior.   74