Today we are excited to announce the details of our seed funding. Momentus provides in-space transportation services for satellites between various orbits out to deep space. Our mission is to provide the most efficient in-space transportation services powered by deep space resource utilization, and the individuals and organizations outlined below will help us achieve our goal.We would like to especially thank Prime Movers Lab, who led the $8.3M round, with participation from Liquid 2 Ventures, One Way Ventures, Mountain Nazca, Y Combinator, and numerous others.
Momentus has not only developed groundbreaking and efficient water-powered, in-space rockets, but also validated the massive market demand for their services with hundreds of millions of dollars in LOIs.
QuoteToday we are excited to announce the details of our seed funding. Momentus provides in-space transportation services for satellites between various orbits out to deep space. Our mission is to provide the most efficient in-space transportation services powered by deep space resource utilization, and the individuals and organizations outlined below will help us achieve our goal.We would like to especially thank Prime Movers Lab, who led the $8.3M round, with participation from Liquid 2 Ventures, One Way Ventures, Mountain Nazca, Y Combinator, and numerous others.QuoteMomentus has not only developed groundbreaking and efficient water-powered, in-space rockets, but also validated the massive market demand for their services with hundreds of millions of dollars in LOIs. Interesting company, looks like they are developing a water based in-space tug.https://momentus.space/2018/11/14/proudly-announcing-8-3m-in-seed-funding/
God their website is annoying. "Just tell me the facts, ma'am."Anyway, 700 seconds seems.. okay, I guess? I mean, it's an order of magnitude less than SEP is capable of, but I suppose they've traded-off for higher T/W, which is a legitimate concern if you're going to spend a lot of time climbing in and out of gravity wells. I would like to see some considerably more detailed numbers, though.
I couldn't find 700 sec just x3 more than chemical.
500-1250 KG WET MASS180 KG PAYLOAD TO LUNAR ORBIT FROM LEO250 KG PAYLOAD TO MARS ORBIT FROM GTOUP TO 6 KM/SEC ∆V2-3 KW SOLAR PANELSSPECIFIC IMPULSE UP TO 700 SEC
STARTING MASS 180 KG (ESPA)OR 300 KG (ESPA GRANDE)UP TO 6 KM/SEC ∆V500 W SOLAR PANELSSPECIFIC IMPULSE UP TO 700 SEC
...the latter option is kind of interesting as you could just launch water anytime a Dragon or Cygnus launch is volume-limited. Using ISS as a sort of ad hoc propellant depot.
Ardoride:Quote500-1250 KG WET MASS180 KG PAYLOAD TO LUNAR ORBIT FROM LEO250 KG PAYLOAD TO MARS ORBIT FROM GTOUP TO 6 KM/SEC ∆V2-3 KW SOLAR PANELSSPECIFIC IMPULSE UP TO 700 SEC
For those wanting to subscribe to any videos from them:MOMENTUS
Quote from: Robotbeat on 11/15/2018 03:58 am...the latter option is kind of interesting as you could just launch water anytime a Dragon or Cygnus launch is volume-limited. Using ISS as a sort of ad hoc propellant depot.That's an interesting thought, relative to Orbit Fab and their water tanker testing to be done at ISS, and in the context of Jon Goff's 3 burn departure concept, which allows start at ISS orbit. By definition the propulsion stages need to be long lived for electric propulsion, though there is the deviation from the original 3 burn concept (refuel an existing upper stage for first burn).
What's stopping Rocket Lab from expanding the capabilities of the kick stage, and effectively do what this company is trying to do by marketing it? Curie has the flight heritage under its belt.
Quote from: Davidthefat on 02/05/2019 11:56 pmWhat's stopping Rocket Lab from expanding the capabilities of the kick stage, and effectively do what this company is trying to do by marketing it? Curie has the flight heritage under its belt.Electron's performance. 150–225 kg to LEO leaves almost zero margin for hardware that isn't payload. Vigoride will weigh no less than 80 kg wet per Momentus' website, meaning that the limits of Electron would be ~140 kg to a 700 km elliptical orbit with Vigoride providing a max of 1 km/s dV (for a 50 kg payload) from there. That is by no means shabby but it's really hard to conceive of more than a tiny handful of customers for something like that.
First contract for Vigoride with a german company, ECM Space...https://spacenews.com/momentus-first-vigoride-customer/
Quote from: Tywin on 02/06/2019 02:12 pmFirst contract for Vigoride with a german company, ECM Space...https://spacenews.com/momentus-first-vigoride-customer/Would be good to know the name of their test satellite and launch vehicle."Momentus plans to conduct an in-orbit demonstration of its key technology, a water-plasma engine, in March or April."
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Has anyone seen any studies on how large a fluid tank ISS could support (within structural/attitude control/physical volume limits)? Initial Momentus vehicles would need only a few hundred kg of water aggregation at ISS, but at several tons slosh dynamics and such seem likely problematic.
.@momentusspace raises $25.5M from @DakinSloss #primemoverslab, @ycombinator @QuietCapital @mountainnazca, for water-vapor powered vehicles taking satellites from LEO drop-off to desired orbits. Demo launched July 5, passenger-carrying missions in 2020.
Not sure of this passenger carry capability. Their Fervoride OTV is good for 6-8t to Lunar gateway, but that will be trip of few weeks or months, not really suitable for passengers.
2. Stationkeeping thrusters for spacecraft already in their operating orbits, especially very large constellations (where cost of traditional electric or hypergolic options would be outrageously large, or totally impossible) and/or servicable spacecraft (where the inertness of water makes it safer to handle, including to the point of a pressurized shirt-sleeve environment)
August 5, 2019Momentus plans to conduct a test launch in 2020 of Vigoride, a shuttle to ferry payloads from one location in low Earth orbit to another, by sending a satellite into orbit through NanoRacks’ Kaber Microsat Deployer on the space station. ...Once the Bishop Airlock is in place, Momentus will send its Vigoride customers into orbit through the commercial airlock, Momentus and NanoRacks announced Aug. 5 at the Small Satellite Conference here.
Momentus To Provide In-Space Transportation Service to its Customers On SpaceX SmallSat Rideshare Launch Service to deliver customer satellites to multiple custom orbits from a single Falcon 9 launchWe are excited to have Momentus as SpaceX’s first customer on a dedicated small satellite rideshare mission --Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX.SANTA CLARA, CALIF. (PRWEB) AUGUST 22, 2019Momentus (http://www.momentus.space), provider of in-space shuttle services that move satellites between orbits, today announced plans to provide orbital shuttle service to its customers on SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission. Momentus’ Vigoride orbital shuttle will carry multiple customer satellites, with a total mass up to 250 kg, each to its own custom orbit on a mission scheduled to launch no earlier than late 2020. As part of this launch, Momentus will offer its customers the ability to access multiple destination orbits through its in-space last-mile transportation services.A graduate of the prestigious Y Combinator program and based in Santa Clara, California, Momentus recently announced a $25.5MM Series A, bringing total funding to $34M. Momentus employs new and proprietary technology including water plasma propulsion for the mission of low-cost sustainable transportation through space. Momentus’ Vigoride orbital shuttle, which is designed and built in-house, is powered by proprietary water plasma propulsion to ferry satellites from one orbit to another.“We are showing that ridesharing from the Falcon 9 will be a game-changer. By ferrying payloads to multiple orbits from a single launch, we multiply the capability of an already very impressive system,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus. “I’m personally thrilled to have the opportunity to work with SpaceX.”“We are excited to have Momentus as SpaceX’s first customer on a dedicated small satellite rideshare mission,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. “Their innovative technology will offer a strong complement to Falcon 9’s capability to reliably and affordably launch payloads for small satellite operators.”About MomentusMomentus provides in-space shuttle services for satellites. The company was founded in 2017 in Santa Clara, CA with the idea to revolutionize space transportation. Momentus designs and builds orbital shuttles propelled by proprietary water plasma thrusters. The service ferries satellites to final orbits after they are delivered by conventional rockets to their initial orbit. Momentus is a 30 person team growing rapidly. The company has raised $34MM to date.For more information and a list of job openings, please visit us at http://www.momentus.space/careers
Quote from: gongora on 08/22/2019 06:26 pmMomentus To Provide In-Space Transportation Service to its Customers On SpaceX SmallSat Rideshare Launch Service to deliver customer satellites to multiple custom orbits from a single Falcon 9 launchWe are excited to have Momentus as SpaceX’s first customer on a dedicated small satellite rideshare mission --Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX.SANTA CLARA, CALIF. (PRWEB) AUGUST 22, 2019Momentus (http://www.momentus.space), provider of in-space shuttle services that move satellites between orbits, today announced plans to provide orbital shuttle service to its customers on SpaceX’s first dedicated SmallSat Rideshare mission. Momentus’ Vigoride orbital shuttle will carry multiple customer satellites, with a total mass up to 250 kg, each to its own custom orbit on a mission scheduled to launch no earlier than late 2020. As part of this launch, Momentus will offer its customers the ability to access multiple destination orbits through its in-space last-mile transportation services.A graduate of the prestigious Y Combinator program and based in Santa Clara, California, Momentus recently announced a $25.5MM Series A, bringing total funding to $34M. Momentus employs new and proprietary technology including water plasma propulsion for the mission of low-cost sustainable transportation through space. Momentus’ Vigoride orbital shuttle, which is designed and built in-house, is powered by proprietary water plasma propulsion to ferry satellites from one orbit to another.“We are showing that ridesharing from the Falcon 9 will be a game-changer. By ferrying payloads to multiple orbits from a single launch, we multiply the capability of an already very impressive system,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus. “I’m personally thrilled to have the opportunity to work with SpaceX.”“We are excited to have Momentus as SpaceX’s first customer on a dedicated small satellite rideshare mission,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer at SpaceX. “Their innovative technology will offer a strong complement to Falcon 9’s capability to reliably and affordably launch payloads for small satellite operators.”About MomentusMomentus provides in-space shuttle services for satellites. The company was founded in 2017 in Santa Clara, CA with the idea to revolutionize space transportation. Momentus designs and builds orbital shuttles propelled by proprietary water plasma thrusters. The service ferries satellites to final orbits after they are delivered by conventional rockets to their initial orbit. Momentus is a 30 person team growing rapidly. The company has raised $34MM to date.For more information and a list of job openings, please visit us at http://www.momentus.space/careersThe rideshare program seemed like a decent opportunity for Momentous when it was first announced. With this deveopment however, I wonder if it is now gamechanging.https://spacenews.com/spacex-revamps-smallsat-rideshare-program/Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this drop the cost of the launch plus the service from Momentous below the current prices from an outfit like Rocket Lab and still give you a lot of the custom orbit capability that seems to be one of the major selling points they advertise? I wonder if this might route more of the business that would have gone to small launch operators without necessarily requiring Momentous through a Spacex/Momentous combo. It also might make it harder for small launch companies to gain further funding and perhaps easier for Momentous.I wonder what changes this will cause in Momentous' strategy or execution.
Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this drop the cost of the launch plus the service from Momentous below the current prices from an outfit like Rocket Lab and still give you a lot of the custom orbit capability that seems to be one of the major selling points they advertise?
I wonder what changes this will cause in Momentous' strategy or execution.
Quote from: Blackjax on 08/30/2019 03:36 pmCorrect me if I am wrong, but doesn't this drop the cost of the launch plus the service from Momentous below the current prices from an outfit like Rocket Lab and still give you a lot of the custom orbit capability that seems to be one of the major selling points they advertise? Quite possibly, though you'd need to price out a F9 rideshare and a Vigoride or Vigoride Extended to be sure. If SpaceX charges a couple million for an ESPA port and a Vigoride is a couple million, then it should be less than a $6M Electron -- assuming your payload can fit within the mass/volume limitations.Might be interesting if the payload doesn't have to be deployed and can just continue to use the Vigoride's power and RCS systems -- basically a Momentus version of Rocketlab's Curie-based Photon bus.Quote from: Blackjax on 08/30/2019 03:36 pmI wonder what changes this will cause in Momentous' strategy or execution. I suspect that this is pretty much exactly what they were anticipating, and that Momentus has a much larger potential customer base in rideshares than in dedicated smallsat launches. As such, I'd guess that smallsat launchers will be their competition rather more often than their partners.I'm especially looking forward to their Fervoride vehicles, which could provide regular on-orbit shuttle services. Maybe stick a water tank and docking ring on the top of the Falcon 9 (or Soyuz or New Glenn, etc.) ESPA ring stack, and a Fervoride shuttle can snag the stack from the upper stage, refill its internal tank and then start hitting the specific orbits the payloads want, before getting back to LEO, ditching the stack, and waiting for the next rideshare flight. (And maybe grab and deorbit the odd dead LEO satellite when its got nothing better to do.)I mean, they're probably looking at Starship and thinking that it may be able to drop off 100+ tonnes in LEO, but it'll be a cheaper and more efficient to refill a 5-10t Fervoride for last mile delivery than an 80t Starship, and how many monolithic 100t+ payloads wanting to go to a single orbit will there be, anyway?SpaceX apparently doesn't want to do orbital tugs, so Momentus wants to step in as an on-orbit SpaceX. Vigoride is their version of the Falcon 1 -- cheap enough to be expendable, but with an eye towards the recovery, refueling and reuse of future vehicles. As SpaceX has shown, though, reuse is great but "cheap enough to be expended" is the important bit -- and I hope Momentus keeps that in mind for Vigoride on up.Fortunately for them, however, recovery and reuse of Fervoride and subsequent shuttles won't involve figuring out how to survive fiery plunges into Earth's atmosphere, just how to refill tankage with an inert, non-cryogenic monoprop that's even cheaper than dirt. ;-)
With Fervoride OTV the F9R could deliver 6-8t to lunar gateway. No way around chemical engines for landers and HSF but for cargo and fuel between LEO -LLO -LEO Fervoride OTV would ideal, especially if lunar water is avaliable in LLO. There is issue of solar panel degradation every time OTV passes through Van Allen belt, but this should be lot less compared to normal SEP, due to faster trip time.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190911005177/en/Relativity-Space-Signs-Launch-Services-Agreement-MultipleQuoteLOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Space, the world’s first autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellites, today announced that it has signed a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Momentus, the provider of in-space shuttle services that move satellites between orbits, to launch Momentus’ small and medium satellite customers on Relativity’s Terran 1 rocket, the world’s first and only entirely 3D printed rocket. Momentus will then deliver their customers’ small and medium sized satellites to geosynchronous orbit (GEO) using the Momentus Vigoride Extended in-space shuttle service. The agreement includes Momentus’ purchase of a first launch, scheduled for 2021, with options for five additional launches with Relativity. The agreement opens access to a more diverse range of orbits for Terran 1 including geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), Lunar and deep space orbits, lower inclinations, and phasing of multiple spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO). Small satellites will have access to even more flexible launch capabilities with Momentus-enabled missions combined with Terran 1’s class-leading features.
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Relativity Space, the world’s first autonomous rocket factory and launch services leader for satellites, today announced that it has signed a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Momentus, the provider of in-space shuttle services that move satellites between orbits, to launch Momentus’ small and medium satellite customers on Relativity’s Terran 1 rocket, the world’s first and only entirely 3D printed rocket. Momentus will then deliver their customers’ small and medium sized satellites to geosynchronous orbit (GEO) using the Momentus Vigoride Extended in-space shuttle service. The agreement includes Momentus’ purchase of a first launch, scheduled for 2021, with options for five additional launches with Relativity. The agreement opens access to a more diverse range of orbits for Terran 1 including geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), Lunar and deep space orbits, lower inclinations, and phasing of multiple spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO). Small satellites will have access to even more flexible launch capabilities with Momentus-enabled missions combined with Terran 1’s class-leading features.
Vigoride, with a preliminary pricetag of $1.2 million, is designed to move satellites with a mass of 250 kilograms or less to new destinations in low Earth orbit. ...(snip)...Vigoride Extended, with a preliminary price of $4.8 million, will move satellites with a mass of 300 kilograms from low Earth orbit to geostationary transfer orbit, geostationary orbit or the moon
I kept needing prices for their services and not really finding them in this thread, so just for ease of reference in the future:QuoteVigoride, with a preliminary pricetag of $1.2 million, is designed to move satellites with a mass of 250 kilograms or less to new destinations in low Earth orbit. ...(snip)...Vigoride Extended, with a preliminary price of $4.8 million, will move satellites with a mass of 300 kilograms from low Earth orbit to geostationary transfer orbit, geostationary orbit or the moonsourced from this article https://spacenews.com/momentus-first-vigoride-customer/So to launch a 225kg Rocket Labs Electron size payload on a SpaceX Rideshare using Vigoride would cost:Base SpaceX Rideshare price for 200kg: $1,000,000Additional Rideshare Mass (25kg payload + Vigoride mass 80kg = 105kg @ $5000/kg): $525,000Vigoride price: $1,200,000SpaceX/Vigoride Total Cost: $2,725,000 ($12,111 per kg of payload)Rocket Labs Total Cost: $5,000,000 ($22,222 per kg of payload)For giggles I also priced out a scenario where you would aggregate many small payloads, distribute them across multiple vigorides and stack them into a single Relativity Terran 1 launch. I used Relatvity because it is the cheapest per kg of the plausible small launchers coming up.Relativity/3x Vigoride Total Cost: $13,600,000 ($13,737 per kg of payload)Relativity/4x Vigoride Total Cost: $14,800,000 ($13,831 per kg of payload)Would you actually really want to stick all those payloads on Vigorides on a Terran 1 rather than just launching on the Terran 1 directly? I dunno, I just ran the numbers for the hell of it.
VR-1 is expected to be deployed from a Falcon 9 launch in May 2020, and the mission is expected to have a duration of 180 days, i.e., from May 2020 to November 2020. ...For the initial mission, VR-1 will have the capacity to transport and deploy multiple payloads (individually, “Payload 1,” “Payload 2,” and “Payload 3,” and together, the “Payloads”). Payload 1 is expected to be a standard 6U cubesat and Payloads 2 and 3 are expected to be standard 3U cubesats....VR-1 has a planned launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in May 2020. VR-1 will be affixed directly to the payload of the Falcon 9 and deployed into a 220 by 380 km elliptical orbit with a 53 degree inclination (Footnote 3 The launch vehicle operator has indicated it may select an alternative insertion orbit of 289 km circular.). After separation from the launch vehicle, VR-1 will undergo commissioning and, upon completion, will conduct orbit-raising maneuvers to a targeted 380 km circular orbit with a 53 degree inclination. At this orbital destination, VR-1 will deploy Payloads 1 and 2. After deployment of Payloads 1 and 2, VR-1 will conduct orbit-raising maneuvers to a targeted 500 km circular orbit with a 53 degree inclination. At this orbital destination, VR-1 will deploy Payload 3. ...As part of the orbit raising, Momentus will calculate and monitor propellant consumption and reserve a sufficient amount of propellant to ensure that VR-1 will be capable of conducting a final de-orbit maneuver, as discussed below. While Momentus believes that theoretically VR-1 will be able to attain a circular orbit of 500 km, as an operational matter, it is possible that VR-1 will not reach that orbital altitude. Regardless, as demonstrated in the attached Orbital Debris Assessment Report, a 500 km circular orbit would be the worst-case scenario for orbital debris purposes, and Payload 3 and VR-1 would each re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere in less than 4 years at that altitude. Following deployment of Payload 3, VR-1 will engage in de-orbit maneuvers to lower the perigee of the spacecraft to 300 km altitude. At a (maximum) 500 x 300 km orbit, Momentus calculates that VR-1 will de-orbit within one year. Naturally, if VR-1 does not reach a 500 km circular orbit, the VR-1 de-orbit period will be even shorter after completion of the de-orbit maneuver.
Momentus withdrew their FCC filing.
2020 is a big year for Momentus, as our Vigoride shuttle will fly two demo missions, paving the way for commercial missions from 2021 onward. Through joint efforts in flexible ridesharing this will open a new paradigm in flexibility for custom drop-off altitudes and orbits in space. You can read about some of our first customers on Space News here and here.The first ever water-powered microwave electro-thermal (MET) thruster was launched and tested in space on our El Camino Real mission in 2019. The first full-scale Vigoride test mission “Strait of Magellan” is planned for Q3 2020 on the Soyuz rocket. Another planned ride is titled “Amber Road” in December 2020 on the SpaceX dedicated rideshare mission.What all of this means is a very exciting future for satellite owners and operators with regards to price and efficiency. Whereas our Charter Service includes only an orbital transfer and requires the customer to procure a launch, our Shuttle Service includes launch provisions and the orbital transfer. More options…flexibility, and savings ultimately!After demos are completed in Q3/Q4, quarterly launches will be available in 2021 and beyond.
Momentus announced plans at the SmallSat Symposium here to deploy a SteamJet cubesat on its Vigoride demonstration mission scheduled to launch later this year on a Russian Soyuz rocket...SteamJet’s 1.5-unit cubesat will be integrated into a deployer designed to fit multiple cubesats built by Innovative Solutions in Space of the Netherlands. The deployer will then be mounted on Momentus’ Vigoride transfer vehicle, Dawn Harms, Momentus chief revenue officer, said by email....In total, Momentus has five customers lined up for shuttle flights in 2020 and 2021...Singapore startups NuSpace and Aliena plan to send their joint NuX-1 demonstration satellite on Momentus’ Vigoride orbital transfer vehicle after it launches in early 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Aurora plans to send a 1.5-unit cubesat into orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December 2020 before riding with Momentus’ Vigoride service to sun-synchronous orbit.The Aurora cubesat will demonstrate water-fueled resistojet thrusters to provide attitude and altitude control as well as the Plasma Brake Module for deorbiting, Aurora CEO Roope Takala told SpaceNews.
This ODAR evaluates the Momentus initial demonstration mission, Vigoride-1 (“VR-1”), whichhas a planned launch on a Soyuz-2 rocket in August 2020. For the initial mission, VR-1 willhave the capacity to transport and deploy multiple payloads (individually, “Payload 1” and“Payload 2,” and together, the “Payloads”). Payload 1 is a 1.5U cubesat launched on behalf ofSteamjet Space Systems. Payload 2 is a Spire Inc. 3U Lemur-class cubesat. The de-orbitanalysis for customer satellite payloads will be addressed through the licensing process forthe relevant payload.Launch Vehicle:• Soyuz-2Expected Launch Site:• Baikonur Cosmodrome, KazakhstanOperational Mission Duration:• Planned for 180 days.The VR-1 general concept of operations is as follows:1. Launch vehicle arrives at initial orbit (500-565 km altitude circular)2. VR-1 separates from launch vehicle3. VR-1 undergoes commissioning and preliminary testing4. VR-1 deploys Payloads 1 and 25. VR-1 conducts orbit raising maneuvers to second orbit (max. 585 km circular)6. VR-1 performs detailed system functional testing7. VR-1 conducts de-orbit maneuvers (targeting 450 km perigee or less)
Momentus to offer last-miles service from SpaceX rideshare flights: https://spacenews.com/momentus-spacex-rideshare/QuoteMomentus purchased rides on five SpaceX Falcon 9 smallSat rideshare missions in 2020 and 2021 to showcase the ability of its Vigoride in-space transportation vehicle to move customer satellites 300 to 1,200 kilometers beyond the drop-off point, the Santa Clara, California, company announced March 9.More at the link.
Momentus purchased rides on five SpaceX Falcon 9 smallSat rideshare missions in 2020 and 2021 to showcase the ability of its Vigoride in-space transportation vehicle to move customer satellites 300 to 1,200 kilometers beyond the drop-off point, the Santa Clara, California, company announced March 9.
SAT-STA-20200221-00016QuoteThis ODAR evaluates the Momentus initial demonstration mission, Vigoride-1 (“VR-1”), whichhas a planned launch on a Soyuz-2 rocket in August 2020. For the initial mission, VR-1 willhave the capacity to transport and deploy multiple payloads (individually, “Payload 1” and“Payload 2,” and together, the “Payloads”). Payload 1 is a 1.5U cubesat launched on behalf ofSteamjet Space Systems. Payload 2 is a Spire Inc. 3U Lemur-class cubesat. The de-orbitanalysis for customer satellite payloads will be addressed through the licensing process forthe relevant payload.Launch Vehicle:• Soyuz-2...
This ODAR evaluates the Momentus initial demonstration mission, Vigoride-1 (“VR-1”), whichhas a planned launch on a Soyuz-2 rocket in August 2020. For the initial mission, VR-1 willhave the capacity to transport and deploy multiple payloads (individually, “Payload 1” and“Payload 2,” and together, the “Payloads”). Payload 1 is a 1.5U cubesat launched on behalf ofSteamjet Space Systems. Payload 2 is a Spire Inc. 3U Lemur-class cubesat. The de-orbitanalysis for customer satellite payloads will be addressed through the licensing process forthe relevant payload.Launch Vehicle:• Soyuz-2...
13.05.20Under the agreement, Momentus’ Vigoride orbital transfer vehicles will carry Sen’s satellites to sun-synchronous orbit riding on SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, with the first launch booked for summer 2021 and a further four satellites scheduled for late 2022. From their drop-off orbits, the Vigorides will deploy the EarthTV satellites to their final desired altitudes. In the case of the cluster of four, Vigoride will also equally distribute the satellites in their orbital plane.Built by NanoAvionics under a separate contract that was announced in March, the EarthTV satellites are cubesats with a 16U form factor, which makes them the largest payloads contracted to Momentus so far. This is also the first agreement specifically leveraging the orbital maneuvering capabilities of the Vigoride shuttle.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCztg6mWuGX-Bk5k12uT_3AwSee this youtube channel for few interviews with Momentus. On one video they compared mission pricing between Electron and Vigroride+SpaceX rideshare, worked out half price to deploy 6 satellites to SSO. The example was probably picked to give best results for Momentus, still on average should be lot cheaper than RL. They were also testing COTS components to use in their spacecraft, with one example being microwave oven magnetron for plasma drive. Cheap and reliable, why reinvent wheel.
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 06/17/2020 10:40 pmhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCztg6mWuGX-Bk5k12uT_3AwSee this youtube channel for few interviews with Momentus. On one video they compared mission pricing between Electron and Vigroride+SpaceX rideshare, worked out half price to deploy 6 satellites to SSO. The example was probably picked to give best results for Momentus, still on average should be lot cheaper than RL. They were also testing COTS components to use in their spacecraft, with one example being microwave oven magnetron for plasma drive. Cheap and reliable, why reinvent wheel.Fair point. People have been talking about using them for SPS since JPL did work in the 70's. It'd be nice for someone to actually do it. That said that's roughly a Kw of energy (including losses) so that's going to need some say 3 m^2 (at 40+% efficiency) PV array or a least double that for lower efficiency cells.
Momentus working on using a robot arm with Vigoridehttps://spacenews.com/made-in-space-europe-and-momentus-plan-robotic-spacecraft/Is this going to use something like Jon Goff's DogTags to simplify capture?The premise of using a robot arm for towing a sat (including a rideshare sat on a different rideshare mount from the Vigoride bus) is sorta interesting. Does that imply back and forth ops from a corncob rideshare adapter to different orbits, or "oversubscribing" a Vigoride such that it can collect other passengers from other rideshare mounts after launch but before tug finally leaves (either by reaching around with the arm while still attached to the dispenser, or detaching and flying over to a mount)? If "oversubscribing", that has interesting implications for SpaceX rideshares, or any other rideshare heavy flights, since that means you could max out propellant load on a Vigoride up to the rideshare mount limit AND the customer can max out their sat to the rideshare mount limit. Vigoride may even be able to pick up drop tanks from a neighboring rideshare mount as well.
Momentus Awarded NASA TROPICS Pathfinder MissionLooks like this contract has a value of $112k to launch a 3U cubesat.
[...]using their in-orbit service to move a launched cubesat [...]112K is basically for a thruster. Or did I get that wrong?
It's not a contract to launch anything. The press release is about using their in-orbit service to move a launched cubesat to its operational orbit (reading between the lines a bit in a rather vague description of what they are doing). SpaceX launches a satellite and deploys it somewhere, and Momentus uses their system to get it where it needs to be. 112K is basically for a thruster. Or did I get that wrong? (it has been known)
Fred Kennedy, former Space Development Agency director, is the new president of Momentus, a Silicon Valley company preparing to transport satellites in orbit.
[Space News] Former Pentagon official Fred Kennedy is the new president of MomentusQuoteFred Kennedy, former Space Development Agency director, is the new president of Momentus, a Silicon Valley company preparing to transport satellites in orbit.
A recent-ish journal article on a very similar looking propulsion technology: The microwave electro-thermal (MET) thruster using water vapor propellantDifferences are that the linked article describes a magnetron rather than a helicon antenna as a microwave source, but the Isp and power levels line up - even down to the description of using a vortex for plasma containment.
KEY POINTSSpace transportation company Momentus is in final talks to go public through an acquisition by Stable Road Capital, a person familiar with the discussions told CNBC, which would value the company at near $1 billion.The company would go public through Stable Road’s special purpose acquisition vehicle that it raised for $172.5 million for in November 2019.Momentus offers a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft, with a transfer vehicle that helps deliver satellites from a rocket to a specific orbit.
[CNBC] Space company Momentus looks to go public through a SPAC with near $1 billion valuationQuoteKEY POINTSSpace transportation company Momentus is in final talks to go public through an acquisition by Stable Road Capital, a person familiar with the discussions told CNBC, which would value the company at near $1 billion.The company would go public through Stable Road’s special purpose acquisition vehicle that it raised for $172.5 million for in November 2019.Momentus offers a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft, with a transfer vehicle that helps deliver satellites from a rocket to a specific orbit.
Quote from: gongora on 10/06/2020 08:31 pm[CNBC] Space company Momentus looks to go public through a SPAC with near $1 billion valuationQuoteKEY POINTSSpace transportation company Momentus is in final talks to go public through an acquisition by Stable Road Capital, a person familiar with the discussions told CNBC, which would value the company at near $1 billion.The company would go public through Stable Road’s special purpose acquisition vehicle that it raised for $172.5 million for in November 2019.Momentus offers a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft, with a transfer vehicle that helps deliver satellites from a rocket to a specific orbit.That's an impressive valuation.~Jon
Quote from: jongoff on 10/07/2020 12:54 amQuote from: gongora on 10/06/2020 08:31 pm[CNBC] Space company Momentus looks to go public through a SPAC with near $1 billion valuationQuoteKEY POINTSSpace transportation company Momentus is in final talks to go public through an acquisition by Stable Road Capital, a person familiar with the discussions told CNBC, which would value the company at near $1 billion.The company would go public through Stable Road’s special purpose acquisition vehicle that it raised for $172.5 million for in November 2019.Momentus offers a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft, with a transfer vehicle that helps deliver satellites from a rocket to a specific orbit.That's an impressive valuation.~JonSeems high to me, but most valuations seem high to me.
Why does Momentus need an FAA license? Aren't they treated as a satellite?
Mikhail Kokorich is resigning as CEO of Momentus “in an effort to expedite the resolution of U.S. government national security and foreign ownership concerns.” Dawn Harms takes over as CEO. [No word on Kokorich’s ownership stake.] https://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1781162/000121390021003873/ea133842ex99-1_stableroad.htm
Momentus Names Dawn Harms Interim CEOBoard Accepts Resignation of Mikhail Kokorich as CEO and DirectorJanuary 25, 2021 –Santa Clara, CA – Momentus Inc. (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a commercial space company offering in-space infrastructure services, today announced its Board of Directors has appointed Dawn Harms, the Company’s Chief Revenue Officer, as a director and interim CEO effective immediately, following the resignation of director and founding CEO Mikhail Kokorich.Momentus, in consultation with the Company’s announced SPAC partner, Stable Road Acquisition Corp. (“Stable Road”), has determined that accepting Mr. Kokorich’s resignation is in the best interest of the Company, in an effort to expedite the resolution of U.S. government national security and foreign ownership concerns surrounding the Company, the existence of which the Company recently has confirmed.“We believe that this leadership transition will position the company for success and help accelerate regulatory reviews by the U.S. government,” said Brian Kabot, Chairman and CEO of Stable Road. “Momentus has a deep and experienced executive team, as well as innovative technology. We have full confidence in Dawn and the team to lead the Company to reach both near-term targets and achieve even greater success over the longer-term.”Momentus and Stable Road are fully committed to cooperating with the U.S. government in connection with any regulatory reviews.Harms is a proven leader in the global space industry who has steered operations at all levels of Momentus since 2019. Previously, she held executive positions at Boeing Satellite Systems International, Space Systems Loral (now MAXAR), International Launch Services (ILS), and others.“I am thrilled and privileged to lead Momentus, and I am confident that together we will continue to reach great heights as a company,” Harms said. “We have an extremely talented team, groundbreaking water plasma propulsion technology, and a unique value proposition, all of which we believe have established Momentus as a leader in the in-space infrastructure industry.”Dr. Fred Kennedy, former director of the U.S. Department of Defense Space Development Agency who joined Momentus in September 2020, will continue in his role as Company President.“Dawn is highly respected in the space community, and her relationships and expertise have already contributed a critical part to Momentus’ success,” said Dakin Sloss, Momentus board Chairman and General Partner of Prime Movers Lab, the Company’s largest investor. “We have complete confidence that Dawn, Fred and the team will continue to thrive in creating a future for the space industry.”The Company is grateful to Mr. Kokorich for his entrepreneurial vision and service and thrilled for Dawn’s leadership in the next steps of realizing that vision.
$SRAC Get out and vote FOR extension of the deadline to complete our merger with @momentusspace. Your vote is important no matter how many or how few shares you own! Voting instructions and proxy filing with details on this can be found at:VOTE | Stable Road Capital stableroadcapital.comThe proposal to extend the deadline by which SRAC has to consummate the proposed transaction with @momentusspace requires approval by holders of at least 65% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class B common stock, voting as a single class.That threshold had not been achieved as of yesterday evening, which is why all stockholders as of March 22, 2021 (the record date) are strongly encouraged to vote as soon as possible. Those stockholders who have already voted have overwhelmingly supported the extension.
SPECIAL MEETING INFORMATIONStable Road will hold a Special Meeting of Stockholders on May 6, 2021 to approve the extension amendment proposal to allow more time to complete its proposed business combination with Momentus Inc. Stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 22, 2021 will be entitled to vote.The board of directors of Stable Road have unanimously approved the proposed extension. Details on the extension amendment are included in the proxy materials found at https://www.cstproxy.com/stableroadacquisitioncorp/sm2021.Stable Road recently mailed to stockholders its proxy statement and voting instruction form, which include instructions on how to vote “FOR” all proposals on the agenda, including the extension amendment.Your vote is important no matter how many or how few shares you own – and please note that not voting is the same as voting against the business combination.
The Federal Aviation Administration has denied a payload review for in-space transportation company Momentus, meaning the company will miss its second opportunity to launch its first tugs.In a May 11 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Momentus said the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation notified the company May 10 that it had denied the company’s application for a payload review, part of the FAA’s launch licensing process. Momentus sought the review in order to be part of a SpaceX dedicated rideshare launch scheduled for June. Denials of payload reviews by the FAA are rare.The FAA rejected the application “based on the FAA’s finding that its launch would jeopardize U.S. national security,” the company said in the filing. “According to the letter, during an interagency consultation, the FAA was informed that the launch of Momentus’ payload poses national security concerns associated with Momentus’ current corporate structure.”
With recent FCC ruling SRAC shareholders might be better cashing up and not merging. I do like Momentus spacetug and propulsion systems, would be pity if they don't succeed. Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk
Quote from: TrevorMonty on 05/12/2021 07:00 pmWith recent FCC ruling SRAC shareholders might be better cashing up and not merging. I do like Momentus spacetug and propulsion systems, would be pity if they don't succeed. Sent from my SM-T810 using TapatalkI mean, what else can they do unless SRAC buys out the founders earlier? They're already being forced to sell most of their stakes in three years, right? If that won't satisfy DoD, then Momentus is spinning wheels for three years at least, assuming they have enough runway to survive in zombie mode until then...
Stable Road Stockholders Approve Extension of the Date to Consummate Proposed Business Combination with Momentus...“We are very pleased by the overwhelming support for the Extension Amendment Proposal exhibited by our stockholders, with approximately 66.2% of all outstanding shares, and approximately 98.6% of shares that voted on the proposal, being cast in favor of the proposal.”...
Space SPAC shares drop as struggling merger target Momentus does not expect to fly this yearPUBLISHED MON, MAY 24 20213:58 PM EDTMichael Sheetz@THESHEETZTWEETZKEY POINTSStable Road Acquisition Corp. disclosed in a securities filing that its merger target, in-space transportation company Momentus, no longer plans to conduct any missions for customers this year.“This determination was based on information from SpaceX that it was suspending its Momentus-related efforts while Momentus works to secure approvals from the U.S. government,” Stable Road wrote.Stable Road’s merger with Momentus has been bogged down this year, largely due to national security concerns raised by multiple U.S. government agencies.
On October 7, 2020, Stable Road Acquisition Corp. (“Stable Road” or “Parent”) announced a proposed business combination (the “Business Combination”) with Momentus Inc. (“Momentus” or the “Company”). On May 23, 2021, Momentus informed Stable Road that it does not expect to fly any missions in 2021 and that this determination was based on information from SpaceX that it was suspending its Momentus-related efforts while Momentus works to secure approvals from the U.S. government As previously disclosed, Momentus is seeking these approvals from the U.S. government that are required for its missions. Momentus is in the process of updating its financial projections and backlog.
Momentus Finalizes and Signs National Security AgreementMilestone marks key step in government review processJune 09, 2021 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight TimeSANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Momentus Inc. (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company offering transportation and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that it has finalized and signed a National Security Agreement (“NSA”) with the Department of Defense and Department of the Treasury as lead agencies on behalf of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”). The NSA is the culmination of four months of intensive work with the U.S. government and marks a crucial step in the Company’s path toward delivering its services.Since February of this year, Momentus has collaborated with CFIUS and its member agencies, working to demonstrate the Company’s commitment to serving as a trusted partner to the U.S. government. With the NSA now final, Momentus will implement the NSA-required actions that will enable effective alignment with U.S. government stakeholders.“Our co-founders are completely divested from the company as of today, helping to resolve a primary point of the government’s concern,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer Dawn Harms. “The focus now shifts to efficiently implementing the NSA requirements and reinforcing our operational security.”As part of the NSA, Momentus will be required to implement increased security measures, hire key positions to provide additional oversight and appoint a CFIUS-approved director to its board of directors to oversee compliance with the NSA’s stipulations.“Once the NSA’s measures are implemented, we will renew our efforts to expeditiously obtain governmental approvals to clear our path to flight,” said Harms. “The entire Momentus team is eager to move forward, and we are happy to report progress on that journey with this NSA milestone.”
Any chance of retaking the Spacex transporter 2 mission?
SPAC Stable Road amends its merger agreement with Momentus to cut the space company's enterprise valuation in half, from $1.1 billion down to $567 million. https://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1781162/000121390021034706/ea143483-8k_stableroad.htm $SRAC
On June 29, 2021, Stable Road Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Parent”), entered into Amendment No. 3 (the “Amendment”) to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of October 7, 2020, by and among Parent, Project Marvel First Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“First Merger Sub”), Project Marvel Second Merger Sub, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Second Merger Sub”), and Momentus Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Momentus”). The Amendment, among other things, (i) reduced the enterprise valuation of Momentus from $1.131 billion to $566.6 million, (ii) extended the outside date under the Merger Agreement from June 7, 2021 to August 13, 2021, (iii) amended the list of individuals who will serve on the combined company’s board of directors as of Closing (as defined in the Merger Agreement) or the manner in which they will be selected, (iv) terminated the previously contemplated repurchase agreement pursuant to which Parent had agreed to repurchase shares from Prime Movers Lab Fund I, L.P. immediately following the Closing, (v) provides that Momentus will reimburse certain third party expenses of Parent and (vi) provides that, in the event the Closing does not occur for any reason, Momentus will indemnify Parent, Sponsor (as defined in the Merger Agreement) and their respective directors and officers with respect to any untrue statement of a material fact contained in (or material omission from) the registration statement or other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, which statement was provided by or based upon information provided by Momentus or its representatives, subject to certain exceptions.The Amendment was unanimously approved by Parent’s board of directors.The Amendment is attached as Exhibit 2.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Amendment is qualified in its entirety by reference thereto.
https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2021-124According to the SEC’s settled order, Kokorich and Momentus, an early-stage space transportation company, repeatedly told investors that it had “successfully tested” its propulsion technology in space when, in fact, the company’s only in-space test had failed to achieve its primary mission objectives or demonstrate the technology’s commercial viability.
JOHN C. ROOD TO JOIN MOMENTUS AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERFormer Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and aerospace executive brings national security expertise and organizational best practices as company aims to go publicSANTA CLARA, Calif. — July 14, 2021— Momentus Inc. ("Momentus" or the "Company"), a U.S. commercial space company offering in-space infrastructure services, today announced that John C. Rood, former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, will join the Company as Chief Executive Officer effective August 1.Rood brings more than three decades of public and private sector experience to Momentus, including over 20 years of service to the U.S. Government at the Department of Defense, Department of State, White House National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, and as a U.S. Senate staff member.Under Rood’s guidance, Momentus will aim to complete a successful merger with Stable Road Acquisition Corp. in August. The Company’s recent settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) clears the path for the deal and a Stable Road Acquisition Corp. stockholder meeting date is set for August 11 with a record date of July 7, subject to the SEC declaring the registration statement on Form S-4 effective."John's leadership signals a new chapter for Momentus as we focus on the future," said Momentus interim Chief Executive Officer Dawn Harms. "His deep national security experience, proven expertise in business growth, and steadfastness in government service are invaluable assets. We’re looking forward to welcoming John and seeking to transition to becoming a publicly traded company with him at the helm."Prior to his public service, Rood was Senior Vice President of Lockheed Martin International where he led international business growth. He also served as Vice President for Corporate Domestic Business Development at Lockheed Martin. Before joining Lockheed Martin, he was a Vice President at the Raytheon Company.“I’m excited and honored to be joining Momentus at this critical time,” said Rood. “This team is building a unique value proposition, services and solutions that will help customers to use space in new ways. I look forward to working with the team at Momentus to mature the technology to make this vision a reality.” Rood added, “I also look forward to leading the company in a new chapter in which we take the actions necessary to address the concerns previously expressed by the Defense Department through robust implementation of the recent National Security Agreement with the U.S. Government.”Dawn Harms, who has served as Momentus' interim CEO since January of this year, will step down from the board and return to her prior role as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)."Dawn's leadership as the interim CEO has been an unwavering source of confidence for the entire team," said Stable Road Acquisition Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Kabot. "Her continued guidance as CRO will be invaluable as Momentus strategizes its offerings in support of the rapidly growing space economy."
So legal issues aside, do they or do they not have a working engine right now?It's great they settled and "are looking toward the future" but I'm not sure how bright that future is going to be if their core technology doesn't work...
Momentus’ Russian founder and former CEO, Mikhail Kokorich, whose actions are at the heart of the government’s allegations, didn’t join in the settlement, and is instead fighting the SEC’s charges.Quartz reached out to Kokorich to get his side of the story. In the first interview granted since the charges were announced, he says he did not hide key facts about his work at Momentus from investors. He also says he’s owed a payout from Momentus, which purchased his share of the company, and that he has started a new space vehicle start-up in Switzerland.
Kokorich says what failed were onboard computers built by another company. “Momentus created a failure review board to investigate a failure of the avionics (including an onboard computer) on the satellite bus,” he continued. “As a result of the review board, the technical team decided to build robust and fault-tolerant avionics in-house. So by the time we filed S4, we didn’t have in our technology roadmap the avionics that failed during the first test mission.”
I'm curious how the SEC determined this omission to begin with. Do they rely on whistleblowers for this and otherwise assume companies aren't outright lying, or is there actually a verification process with relevant experts? And how's that work with something like Momentus, where the core issues are with technology that is both proprietary and ITAR sensitive?
42. In its third amendment to the registration statement on Form S-4 filed on June 29, 2021, Momentus and SRAC disclosed that the El Camino Real mission “did not demonstrate the MET’s ability to generate thrust in space, which is crucial to our ability to maneuver objects in space.” The June 2021 registration statement on Form S-4 also states, “Moreover, even if the unit generates thrust, there can be no assurance that it can be operated in a manner that is sufficiently reliable and efficient to permit commercialization of the technology.”
In a July 16 filing with the SEC, Stable Road Acquisition Corporation, the SPAC that is merging with Momentus, said that it complied with the terms of a settlement with the SEC announced July 13, offering investors who participated in a private investment in public equity (PIPE) funding round the ability to drop out without penalty.When Stable Road announced the merger with Momentus in October 2020, the deal included a concurrent PIPE round, which is common in SPAC mergers to increase the amount of capital raised beyond the proceeds of the SPAC itself. In the case of the Momentus deal, $172.5 million was coming from the proceeds of Stable Road, while $175 million would come from the PIPE round.In its July 16 SEC filing, Stable Road said investors who accounted for $118 million of the $175 million raised in the PIPE round terminated their agreements. The filing did not state which investors decided to drop out of the deal.
Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.On July 16, 2021, Stable Road Acquisition Corp. (“Stable Road” or “Parent”) announced that it has entered into amended or new subscription agreements (the “Subscription Agreements”) with certain investors (the “PIPE Investors”), pursuant to which the PIPE Investors agreed to purchase an aggregate of 11,000,000 shares (the “PIPE Investment”) of Stable Road Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Combined Company’s Class A common stock”), following the consummation of the proposed business combination with Momentus Inc. (“Momentus” or the “Company”, and such business combination, the “Proposed Business Combination”) at a price of $10.00 per share, representing aggregate gross proceeds of $110.0 million.In addition, Stable Road agreed to issue to each PIPE Investor, at the closing of the PIPE Investment, warrants to purchase one share of Combined Company Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share (subject to adjustment as described in the warrant agreement, dated as of November 7, 2019, between Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, as warrant agent, and Stable Road (the “Warrant Agreement”)) for each share of Combined Company Class A common stock purchased pursuant to such PIPE Investor’s Subscription Agreement. The PIPE Warrants will be issued pursuant to the Warrant Agreement and will have substantially the same provisions as the public warrants issued in connection with Stable Road’s initial public offering.Prior to July 15, 2021, Stable Road had entered into Subscription Agreements with PIPE Investors pursuant to which such PIPE Investors agreed to purchase an aggregate of 17,500,000 shares of Combined Company’s Class A common stock following the consummation of the Proposed Business Combination, representing aggregate gross proceeds of $175.0 million.On July 13, 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) announced charges against Stable Road, Brian Kabot, Momentus, and Momentus’ founder and former CEO, Mikhail Kokorich, for misleading claims about Momentus’ technology and about national security risks associated with Mr. Kokorich (the “SEC’s settled order”). Pursuant to the SEC’s settled order, Momentus and Stable Road agreed to provide the original PIPE Investors with the right to terminate their Subscription Agreements prior to the stockholder vote to approve the Proposed Business Combination. Accordingly, Momentus and Stable Road provided all PIPE Investors with the option to terminate their Subscription Agreements without any liability or obligation. In total, PIPE Investors representing $118.0 million of the original PIPE Investment terminated their Subscription Agreements. The remaining PIPE Investors elected to continue with their Subscription Agreements, with certain PIPE Investors increasing or decreasing their commitment amounts pursuant to amendments to the Subscription Agreements, with such changes representing a net $5.3 million increase in commitments by such remaining PIPE Investors. In addition, 6 new PIPE Investors entered into Subscription Agreements, representing approximately $47.75 million of new commitments. Affiliates of SRC-NI Holdings, LLC, the sponsor of Stable Road, which had committed $15.0 million in the aggregate to the PIPE Investment, reaffirmed their commitment.After giving effect to the foregoing, the PIPE Investors have agreed to purchase an aggregate of 11,000,000 shares of Combined Company Class A common stock in the PIPE Investment for $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $110.0 million. In addition, Stable Road has agreed to issue to PIPE Investors warrants to purchase 11,000,000 shares of Combined Company Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share.The PIPE Investment is contingent upon, among other things, the substantially concurrent closing of the Proposed Business Combination.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Special Meeting of Stable Road Acquisition Corp., a Delaware corporation (“SRAC,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), will be held on August 11, 2021 at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time (the “Special Meeting”).
Rocket Lab notes that the customer was to launch “on a different rocket and orbital transfer vehicle.” AuroraSat-1 was originally manifested on a Momentus Vigoride tug whose launch slipped to mid-2022. It’ll launch in Q4 2021 with Rocket Lab instead.
Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) ("Momentus" or the "Company"), a U.S. commercial space company that plans to offer transportation and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that President Fred Kennedy has resigned from the Company effective January 21.
Momentus is back baby. Vigoride first ride on SpaceX Tranporter 5, and they will also launch on Transporter 6-9https://investors.momentus.space/news-releases/news-release-details/momentus-signs-launch-services-agreements-spacexFor reference, is Momentus directly handling rideshares on Vigoride right now, or is it being done through an aggregator like SpaceFlight?
Any news about the Vigoride?
Momentus has determined that the communications equipment on VR-3 is erroneously operating on different center frequencies (i.e., 8250 MHz (downlink) and 2067.5 MHz (uplink))(the “New Frequencies”). To avoid the potential loss of the VR-3 spacecraft and its payloads during this critical period after deployment, Momentus has commenced operations on the New Frequencies to communicate with VR-3 and address the anomalies expeditiously. Also, Momentus will attempt to set the operating frequencies to the originally authorized center frequencies.
SAT-STA-20220527-00056QuoteMomentus has determined that the communications equipment on VR-3 is erroneously operating on different center frequencies (i.e., 8250 MHz (downlink) and 2067.5 MHz (uplink))(the “New Frequencies”). To avoid the potential loss of the VR-3 spacecraft and its payloads during this critical period after deployment, Momentus has commenced operations on the New Frequencies to communicate with VR-3 and address the anomalies expeditiously. Also, Momentus will attempt to set the operating frequencies to the originally authorized center frequencies.
So, what's a typical cause for a center frequency shift after launch, for those of us who are not familiar with the nitty gritty analog end of RF? Vibration damage to the transceiver? Since it's probably a SDR, what's a typical timing source?
Quote from: Asteroza on 05/29/2022 10:38 pmSo, what's a typical cause for a center frequency shift after launch, for those of us who are not familiar with the nitty gritty analog end of RF? Vibration damage to the transceiver? Since it's probably a SDR, what's a typical timing source?Did they actually say it happened after launch?
Ouch!So flaky radio, bad solar array deployment, and no MET thruster test.
Do we know the names of the two satellites that were deployed?
Momentus says it has “higher confidence” in its second space tug set to launch in December after fixing problems encountered with its first vehicle launched earlier this year.In an earnings call after the release of its third quarter financial results Nov. 8, John Rood, chief executive of Momentus, said the company’s Vigoride 5 tug is on track to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-6 rideshare mission, scheduled to launch in December on a Falcon 9 from Florida. The company completed a flight readiness review for the spacecraft about a week earlier and will ship it to Cape Canaveral “in the coming days.”Vigoride 5 follows the company’s first tug, Vigoride 3, launched on the Transporter-5 mission in May. That vehicle suffered several problems, including communications issues and a solar array that failed to properly deploy, although the company was eventually able to deploy seven of the nine satellites on board.
Any news on the second Vigoride deployment?
Momentus Deploys All Payloads from Vigoride-6 MissionHosted Payload Services for Caltech Continues on Vigoride-5SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 28, 2023-- Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company that offers orbital transportation and in-space infrastructure services, has deployed all customer payloads from its Vigoride-6 Orbital Service Vehicle launched in April 2023 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-7 mission.This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230727650272/en/To date, Momentus has deployed a total of 15 customer satellites over three missions conducted over the past year and has also placed three Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicles (OSVs) into orbit. While these initial three missions were demonstration missions focused on testing the performance of the Vigoride OSV, Momentus is proud to have orbited a number of customer satellites in the missions summarized below:Vigoride-3 launched in May 2022: Momentus’ inaugural mission deployed six satellites for FOSSA Space Sytems and the SelfieSat satellite for Orbit NTNU from Vigoride. The Company also used a third-party deployer to deliver a satellite to orbit for CalPoly Pomona for a total of eight satellites deployed from Vigoride-3 and a third-party deployer.Vigoride-5 launched in January 2023: Momentus’ second mission included the deployment of the Qosmosys Zeus-1 payload. The Company is providing ongoing hosted payload services to Caltech’s Solar Power Project Demonstrator (SSPD) mission. Caltech reports that its payload recently demonstrated its ability to wirelessly transmit power in space and to beam detectable power to Earth. Momentus will continue to provide hosted payload support to SSPD over the coming months as it continues its operations.During the Vigoride-5 mission, the Momentus team also tested its Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) that uses water as a propellant. This included 35 firings of the thruster that demonstrated its ability to perform its intended use cases in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO).Vigoride-6 launched in April 2023: The Vigoride-6 mission successfully deployed the REVELA payload for ARCA Dynamics, the VIREO CubeSat for C3S LLC., the DISCO-1 CubeSat for Aarhus University, and the IRIS-C payload for an Asian customer booked through ISILAUNCH.During the Vigoride-6 mission, Momentus also deployed two CubeSats into Low-Earth Orbit as part of the NASA LLITED (Low-Latitude Ionosphere/Thermosphere Enhancements in Density) mission. These two CubeSats, housed behind a single deployer door, were released from the Vigoride OSV earlier than scheduled. While the CubeSats were deployed at the intended altitude of 495km, they were deployed at a different inclination than the intended target orbit needed for the science experiment. NASA has confirmed the two CubeSats are functional, and the team will be able to operate the science instruments onboard. Momentus conducted a thorough investigation and identified the root cause as human error in the mapping of a software command. The Company is implementing corrective actions to prevent a recurrence.LLITED launched in April as ELaNa 40 (Educational Launch of a Nanosatellite) managed by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.“One of the upcoming events that we are looking forward to conducting on the Vigoride-6 mission is a test of the Tape Spring Solar Array (TASSA), a Momentus technology demonstration of a new kind of solar array,” said Momentus Vice President of Program Management Krishnan Anand.The TASSA features 11-meter-long metal sheets with flexible solar cells bonded to them. To stow, they are tightly coiled around a mandrel. After launch, motors unroll the mandrel, deploying the solar array. The goal of the TASSA program is to reduce the cost per watt of power generated by 50% over arrays currently on the market. Momentus aims to drive down vehicle production costs and streamline on-orbit operations, while reducing the cost of power for the satellite, with this technology once operational.Along with Vigoride-6, Momentus is concurrently operating its Vigoride-5 spacecraft that launched in January 2023. As mentioned above, the Vigoride-5 spacecraft is providing ongoing hosted payload services to Caltech’s Solar Power Project Demonstrator (SSPD) mission.The Company’s next flight is targeted for no earlier than November 2023 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. During this mission, Momentus will use a deployer to place three satellites into Low-Earth Orbit for three different customers:1. The AMAN-1 Earth Observation satellite will be deployed for SatRev. The satellite can also be used for other services such as land survey, precision agriculture, weather, environmental and smart cities.2. The JINJUSat-1 satellite will be deployed for CONTEC Co. of the Republic of Korea. JINJUSat-1 is spearheaded by three entities: Jinju City, Korea Testing Laboratory, and Gyeongsang National University. Once in orbit, cameras mounted on the satellite will carry out a mission to take pictures of the Earth.3. The Picacho satellite will be deployed for Lunasonde - a U.S. sub-surface imaging company with the goal of making underground resources – like water and minerals – easier to find. The Picacho CubeSat is a technology demonstration of Lunasonde’s sensors. It will measure the power spectral density of low-frequency radio signals in the ionosphere, which will help inform designs for the company’s future satellites.Additionally, Momentus now plans to launch its Vigoride-7 OSV, originally scheduled for launch in October 2023, on SpaceX’s Transporter-10 mission targeted for no earlier than February 2024. On the Vigoride-7 mission, Momentus will aim to deploy several customer satellites in Low-Earth Orbit and provide services to a hosted payload. The Company will also release a target satellite and maneuver the OSV into proximity with the target satellite for a Remote Proximity Operations demonstration. The revised mission plans will enable Momentus to launch Vigoride-7 with a fuller load of payloads for deployment in LEO with better mission economics, while still meeting the needs of customers requiring orbital delivery in 2023.About MomentusMomentus is a U.S. commercial space company that offers in-space infrastructure services, including in-space transportation, hosted payloads and in-orbit services. Momentus believes it can make new ways of operating in space possible with its planned in-space transfer and service vehicles that will be powered by an innovative water plasma-based propulsion system.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains certain statements which may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Momentus or its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Momentus’ control. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties included under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company on March 8, 2023, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at investors.momentus.space. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230727650272/en/Investors:[email protected]Media:[email protected]Source: Momentus Inc.
https://twitter.com/SpaceEquities/status/1745790835776434639
Momentus $MNTS is cancelling plans to launch the Vigoride-7 and customers on SpaceX's transporter 10 due to lack of liquidity to support operations. The company reduced headcount and contractors by aproximately 20% at the end of Q4 and is managing cash while it continues exploring new business opportunities and working to raise additional capital.https://investors.momentus.space/node/9891/html
January 10, 2024Date of Report (date of earliest event reported)<snip>Business Update Starting on January 10, 2024, Momentus Inc. (the “Company” or “Momentus”) notified customers and certain regulatory agencies that the Company had changed its plans and did not plan to support the launch of their payloads aboard the Vigoride 7 Orbital Service Vehicle planned for launch on the SpaceX Transporter 10 mission currently targeted for March 1, 2024. The notice was provided due to the Company’s inability to support continuing operations for the expected launch date as a result of the Company’s limited liquidity and cash balance as of the time of the notice to customers. The Company continues to pursue opportunities to raise additional capital to allow for its continuing operations and the execution of its business plan but does not have definitive commitments at this time. SDA On January 5, 2024, the Company was notified by the Space Development Agency (SDA) that the Company was not selected for funding for the Tranche 2 Tracking Layer. As noted during the Company’s third quarter 2023 earnings call and the accompanying press release filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Current Report on Form 8-K on November 14, 2023, Momentus had submitted a bid to the SDA to produce 18 satellites for missile tracking and fire control as part of this proposal. Liquidity The Company has not generated sufficient revenues to provide cash flows that enable the Company to finance its operations internally and the Company’s financial position and operating results raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company has taken and continues to take proactive steps with respect to managing its cash burn rate and extending its cash runway while the Company continues exploring new business opportunities and working to raise additional capital. At the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company reduced its headcount of full-time employees and contractors by approximately 20% to reduce its cash burn rate while retaining the talent it needs to execute on its key near-term initiatives. Nevertheless, the Company’s ability to continue to fund operations for the next few weeks and months will be dependent on its ability to raise equity capital or engage in a strategic transaction. Strategic Process As part of the evaluation of strategic alternatives, Momentus has conducted discussions with multiple potential strategic partners over the past few months. Those discussions have not resulted in any definitive agreements. The Company continues to engage in discussions and attempts to position itself to be able to quickly capitalize on any potential opportunities with interested parties should they arise and to evaluate all viable strategic options. However, if the Company is unable to raise sufficient capital to provide a bridge to full commercial production at a profit, the Company’s operations could be further curtailed or ceased.<snip>
Space company Momentus, once valued at more than $1 billion, is running dangerously low on moneyPUBLISHED FRI, JAN 12 202410:40 AM ESTUPDATED FRI, JAN 12 2024AT 10:50 ESTMichael Sheetz@IN/MICHAELJSHEETZ@THESHEETZTWEETZKEY POINTSMomentus, once valued at more than $1 billion before going public via a SPAC in 2021, abandoned plans for its next mission, which was to fly satellite customers in March.The company cited its “inability to support continuing operations for the expected launch date as a result of the Company’s limited liquidity and cash balance.”Momentus pitched itself as a “last mile delivery” service for spacecraft, targeting the market for small satellites with its orbital transfer vehicle.
Momentus Announces Closing of $4.0 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-the-Market Under Nasdaq RulesSAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2024-- Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company that offers satellite buses, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules with a single institutional investor for the purchase and sale of 3,687,000 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at a purchase price of $1.085 per share, resulting in total gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million before deducting placement agent commissions and other estimated offering expenses. The Company further agreed to issue to the investor warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,687,000 shares of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.96 per share, are exercisable immediately and expire after five years.A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as the sole placement agent for the offering.This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No 333-267230) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). A final prospectus supplement describing the terms of the proposed offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at [email protected].The Company also has agreed that certain existing warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 5,808,538 shares at an exercise price of $3.862 per share have been amended so that the amended warrants will have a reduced exercise price of $0.96 per share. The warrant amendment is subject to stockholder approval, and the warrants shall expire five years from the date stockholder approval is obtained. If stockholder approval is not obtained by the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of these warrants, then the exercise price of the warrants will automatically be reduced to the Minimum Price (as defined in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d)) of the common stock on the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of the warrants and the warrants will expire five years following the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of the warrants.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.
They bought a little more time with $4.0M in financing:QuoteMomentus Announces Closing of $4.0 Million Registered Direct Offering Priced At-the-Market Under Nasdaq RulesSAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 17, 2024-- Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company that offers satellite buses, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that it has closed its previously announced registered direct offering priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules with a single institutional investor for the purchase and sale of 3,687,000 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at a purchase price of $1.085 per share, resulting in total gross proceeds of approximately $4.0 million before deducting placement agent commissions and other estimated offering expenses. The Company further agreed to issue to the investor warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,687,000 shares of common stock. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.96 per share, are exercisable immediately and expire after five years.A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as the sole placement agent for the offering.This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No 333-267230) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). A final prospectus supplement describing the terms of the proposed offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at [email protected].The Company also has agreed that certain existing warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 5,808,538 shares at an exercise price of $3.862 per share have been amended so that the amended warrants will have a reduced exercise price of $0.96 per share. The warrant amendment is subject to stockholder approval, and the warrants shall expire five years from the date stockholder approval is obtained. If stockholder approval is not obtained by the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of these warrants, then the exercise price of the warrants will automatically be reduced to the Minimum Price (as defined in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d)) of the common stock on the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of the warrants and the warrants will expire five years following the date that is six months following the initial date of issuance of the warrants.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.https://investors.momentus.space/news-releases/news-release-details/momentus-announces-closing-40-million-registered-direct-0
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company that offers satellite buses, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that it received formal notice (the “Notice”) from the Nasdaq Capital Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that it is not in compliance with the requirements of Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) as a result of not having timely filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “Form 10-K”). The Notice has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company’s common stock on Nasdaq, and the Company’s listing remains fully effective.The Company has 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice, or until June 17, 2024, to file the Form 10-K or to submit to Nasdaq a plan to regain compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). If the Company submits a plan to Nasdaq and Nasdaq accepts the plan, Nasdaq can grant an exception of up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the filing of the Form 10-K, or until October 14, 2024, to regain compliance. If the Company does not regain compliance within the allotted compliance periods, including any extensions that may be granted by Nasdaq, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Company’s common stock will be subject to delisting. The Company would then be entitled to appeal that determination to a Nasdaq hearings panel.The Company’s objective is to regain compliance with the listing requirement, and the Company currently intends to file the Form 10-K with the Commission as soon as it completes the preparation and review of its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2023.
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2024-- Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) ("Momentus" or the "Company"), a provider of in-space transportation services, has secured a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) aimed to support the design and in-space demonstration of technologies that will enable the construction of large-scale structures in space.The program, known as DARPA Novel Orbital and Moon Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass-efficient Design (NOM4D), focuses on developing the foundations for building robust and precise structures in space. The vision is to transport raw materials from Earth for in-orbit manufacturing. Unlike deployable structures optimized for ground tests and launch survival, these structures—such as solar arrays, antennas, and optics—will be specifically designed for the space environment. This exciting endeavor represents a significant step toward advancing Momentus’ capabilities in space construction and utilization.Under the recently awarded “NOM4D On-Orbit Demo” program, Momentus will collaborate with other NOM4D performers to design and refine experiments that can be integrated onto the Momentus Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle. These experiments must meet the stringent requirements for both launch and in-space operation.The program will capitalize on Vigoride’s flexibility, payload capacity, and ease of integration. Momentus’ proprietary water-based propulsion system provides the ability to maneuver and modify orbit to meet a wide range of requirements for NOM4D. By conducting on-orbit demonstrations of the NOM4D assembly and manufacturing technologies, Momentus aims to elevate the Technology Readiness Level (TRL), thereby maturing the technology performance.“We’re delighted by the opportunity to partner with DARPA to work at the forefront of the future in-space infrastructure economy,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer John Rood. “Vigoride’s flexibility, payload capacity, and power make it well-suited to support the demonstration of NOM4D technologies that overcome current volume, load, and vibration constraints currently limiting the type and scale of in- space structures.”Momentus will pioneer novel system-level application concepts to showcase the full integrated spacecraft benefits of NOM4D technologies. This exciting collaboration with DARPA positions Momentus at the forefront of the future in-space infrastructure economy.
