Momentus completes payload deployment from vigoride-6 mission

Momentus completes payload deployment from vigoride-6 mission
by Brad Bartz
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Jul 31, 2023

Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS), the space technology firm, announced that it has successfully launched and deployed all payloads from its Vigoride-6 mission. The mission was carried out via the SpaceX Transporter-7 mission in April 2023.

Since last year, Momentus has had three successful missions, deploying a total of 15 customer satellites, along with placing three of its Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicles (OSVs) into orbit. Initially, these missions served as demonstrations to test the performance of the Vigoride OSV.

The first mission, Vigoride-3, took place in May 2022 and saw the company launch six satellites for FOSSA Space Systems and Orbit NTNU's SelfieSat. An additional satellite was also delivered to orbit for CalPoly Pomona through a third-party deployer.

In January 2023, Momentus's second mission, Vigoride-5, deployed the Qosmosys Zeus-1 payload and initiated ongoing hosted payload services for Caltech's Solar Power Project Demonstrator (SSPD) mission. As part of the SSPD project, a breakthrough in space-based power transmission was achieved, with successful wireless power transmission in space and to Earth.

The Vigoride-5 mission also included a series of tests on Momentus's Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET), a propulsion system using water as fuel. A total of 35 firings of the thruster were conducted, demonstrating the system's viability for use cases in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).

The most recent mission, Vigoride-6, launched in April 2023. This mission delivered payloads for ARCA Dynamics, C3S LLC, Aarhus University, and an Asian customer via ISILAUNCH. As part of the mission, two CubeSats were deployed into Low-Earth Orbit as part of NASA's LLITED (Low-Latitude Ionosphere/Thermosphere Enhancements in Density) mission. Despite a slight variance in deployment inclination due to a software mapping error, the CubeSats are operational and able to carry out their science mission.

Vigoride-6 also hosted an upcoming test for the Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA), a new type of solar array developed by Momentus. The TASSA aims to cut the cost per watt of power generation by half, compared to current solar arrays in the market, by leveraging 11-meter-long metal sheets with flexible solar cells bonded to them. These sheets are coiled tightly around a mandrel for storage, which are then unrolled post-launch for deployment.

In addition to Vigoride-6, Momentus continues to operate its Vigoride-5 spacecraft, supporting Caltech's ongoing SSPD mission.

The next Momentus flight is scheduled for no earlier than November 2023 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. The company plans to deploy three satellites into Low-Earth Orbit for different customers - SatRev, CONTEC Co. from Korea, and Lunasonde.

Momentus has also rescheduled the launch of its Vigoride-7 OSV, originally planned for October 2023, to SpaceX's Transporter-10 mission, expected no earlier than February 2024. This change will allow Momentus to send Vigoride-7 with a fuller load of payloads and improve mission economics while satisfying the needs of customers requiring orbital delivery in 2023.