Momentus, a provider of in-space shuttle services that move satellites between orbits, has announced a working relationship with NanoRacks to utilize the Bishop Airlock Module for Vigoride services from 2021 when the module will be installed on the International Space Station. The companies also plan to have a test launch of Vigoride in Q2-Q3 of 2020 using NanoRacks' existing Kaber microsatellite deployer.

A graduate of the prestigious Y combinator program and based in Santa Clara, California, Momentus recently announced a $25.5MM Series A led by Prime Movers Lab. Momentus employs new and proprietary technology including water plasma engines for the mission of low-cost sustainable transportation through space.

Momentus designs and builds Vigoride shuttle powered by proprietary water plasma propulsion to ferry up to 250 kg of payload, including satellites from one orbit to another. The business model of Momentus includes making orbital shuttle reusable in the future and using the space station as a logistics outpost for in-space transportation services.

The NanoRacks Airlock Module ("Bishop") is the first-ever commercial Airlock that will operate on the International Space Station. Owned and operated by NanoRacks, Bishop is both a permanent commercial module onboard the International Space Station, and also a module capable of being removed from the Space Station and used on future commercial platforms under the NanoRacks Space Outpost Program.

Bishop will offer five times the satellite deployment volume than current opportunities available on the Space Station today, as well as hosted payload mounts and pressurized research racks. The Airlock is manifested to launch on SpaceX CRS-21. Momentus is looking forward to utilizing the Bishop airlock capacity to launch up to 250 kg satellites to various orbital altitudes and LTANs.

"We are looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with NanoRacks, who have been the leading supplier of launch and hosted payload experiments onboard the International Space Station," said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus.

"The Momentus service offerings are complementary to that of NanoRacks, allowing their customers to go beyond the station to a higher altitude, prolonging their mission life."

"This is exactly why NanoRacks chose to invest in the first-ever commercial airlock for the Space Station. Bishop is here to enable technology development and to further enhance our customers' abilities in space.

Momentus is doing both, says Jeffrey Manber, CEO of NanoRacks. "We are thrilled to be working with Momentus, and we see a lot of mutually beneficial opportunities from this collaboration."

Related Links
Momentus
Microsat News and Nanosat News at SpaceMart.com

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