Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ:MNTS) announced that its Vigoride 7 Orbital Service Vehicle has been successfully deployed after launching aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 mission on March 30. The spacecraft separated from the Falcon 9 rocket at an altitude of roughly 500 kilometers.
Following deployment, the vehicle’s 1.6-kilowatt solar arrays successfully unfolded and are now supplying power to the spacecraft. Momentus confirmed it has established communications with Vigoride 7, including both command uplink and telemetry downlink, with all systems operating normally as the spacecraft begins its commissioning phase for core bus subsystems.
Vigoride 7 is carrying 10 commercial and government payloads that will test a range of space technologies. These include systems designed for autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations, in-orbit assembly technologies, and satellite servicing capabilities. The spacecraft will conduct these experiments and demonstrations over the coming months.
The mission represents Momentus’ fourth Vigoride deployment. The company’s next planned mission, Vigoride 8, is scheduled for launch in 2027 and has already been allocated to a U.S. government customer.
“We’re very happy about the momentum at the company right now,” said CEO John Rood. “It’s great to have launched another spacecraft, to have our next mission sold out for a government customer, and to operate from the strongest financial position we’ve been in for some time.”
Momentus develops and operates Vigoride orbital service vehicles, offering services that include satellite deployment, in-space transportation, and satellite component solutions for commercial and government customers.