In the operation of CMGs there exists a concept called “back drive,” which represents a case where the coupling effects of the angular velocity of the body and the angular momentum of the CMG overwhelm the input torque and result in a lack of control. This effect is known but not well documented or studied in the literature. Starting from first principles, this thesis derives the full nonlinear dynamical equations for CMGs. These equations contain significantly more terms than are found in the literature. As a means to understand the implications of these terms, a reduced order model is derived. The full and reduced models are then validated by means of extensive simulations. Finally, experimental verification of the models confirms the finding that the reduced order model provides a reasonably high fidelity for dynamics.