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Momentus’ Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle Completes TVAC Testing Ahead of Launch with SpaceX
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) ("Momentus" or the "Company"), a U.S. commercial space company that offers transportation
About this update from Momentus Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n \n\n SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--\nMomentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (\"Momentus\" or the \"Company\"), a U.S. commercial space company that offers transportation and other in-space infrastructure services, has completed Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing of its Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle scheduled to fly on the SpaceX Transporter-6 mission in December.\nThis press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20221031005648/en/Momentus team with the Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle undergoing TVAC testing. (Photo: Business Wire)\nThermal vacuum testing allows for the simulation of space conditions, including the temperature and altitude that the Vigoride spacecraft will experience during its mission.\n\n\"TVAC marks the final testing milestone for this Vigoride Orbital Service Vehicle (OSV),” said Momentus Chief Technology Officer Rob Schwarz. “In addition to TVAC, Vigoride has undergone successful vibration testing and an array of sub-system tests, including comprehensive ground test campaigns for the solar arrays and our Microwave Electrothermal Thruster (MET) propulsion system. We’re now focused on completing integration of our customer payloads and then preparing the vehicle for shipment to the launch site.”\n\nThe latest Vigoride vehicle design has been modified from the version that flew earlier this year. The updated design increases payload capacity and reduces launch loads transmitted to Momentus' customers. This version of Vigoride also introduces some modularity – particularly with the propulsion system, which should allow Momentus to more easily tailor the vehicle for each mission's unique transfer profile.\n\nMomentus’ second demonstration mission priorities include delivering customer payloads to orbit for Caltech and Qosmosys, and testing Vigoride’s performance in space, particularly related to its MET propulsion. The MET uses water as a propellant and produces thrust by expelling very hot gases through a rocket nozzle. However, unlike a conventional chemical rocket engine, which creates heat through a chemical reaction, the MET heats propellant using microwave energy. The non-toxic water propellant enables simpler, safer, and less expensive operations on Earth, and more sustainable in-space services.\n\n“We took a big step forward earlier this year with the...