Spacecraft Clears Design Review Ahead of 2027 NASA Payload Mission
Vigoride 8 Vehicle Moves Into Production After Nine-Hour Assessment at Momentus Headquarters
A spacecraft built to carry two NASA-hosted payloads into orbit has completed its critical design review, clearing the vehicle to move into procurement and production for a planned 2027 launch.
“We leveraged our historical space mission experience to deliver a rigorous design for an efficient review process.”
Tom Malko, Momentus
California-based commercial space company Momentus Space (Nasdaq: MNTS) said the review covered its Vigoride 8 orbital service vehicle, which is under contract with NASA to carry two payloads: the Spaceworks COSMIC payload and the Juno Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine payload.
The review took place at Momentus’ headquarters and lasted nine hours, according to the company. Representatives from NASA and from the Spaceworks, COSMIC and Juno programs attended in person. At its conclusion, the Vigoride 8 design received an overall “green” status, meaning it can proceed to the next phase.
“Achieving Spacecraft CDR is a major accomplishment for the Vigoride 8 team,” said Tom Malko, senior vice president of engineering and operations at Momentus. “We leveraged our historical space mission experience to deliver a rigorous design for an efficient review process. Today’s positive report confirms that our spacecraft configuration is fully defined, meets the needs of our NASA customers, and is ready to move into procurement and production activities.”
The completed review closes out the design and analysis phase for Vigoride 8, according to the company. The mission, which Momentus said is fully booked, is scheduled to launch in 2027.
Momentus said it has also begun work on a successor vehicle, Vigoride 9, and that capacity remains available on that mission.
Momentus offers satellites, satellite components and in-space transportation services through its Vigoride vehicle line, providing hosted payload support and last-mile delivery for orbital missions, according to the company.