A rendering of Momentus’ Vigoride in-space shuttle. Photo: Momentus

The Space Development Agency (SDA) awarded Momentus a contract modification valued at around $1.2 million to continue developing its Vigoride orbital service vehicle to meet Department of Defense mission requirements.

This comes after the SDA awarded Momentus a Small Business Innovation Research Award (SBIR) in August 2023. With the additional funds, the award is now valued at around $1.9 million. Momentus has been tasked with tailoring the Vigoride capabilities to support DoD payloads and mission requirements. The company said this award “sets the stage for a rapid transition to an in-space flight demonstration.”

“Vigoride’s flexibility, payload capacity, and power make it well-positioned to support a range of national security missions like space situational awareness, surveillance, reconnaissance, and other priorities,” said Momentus CEO John Rood. “We’re pleased that the Space Development Agency has expanded this contract to make improvements to Vigoride, so it is tailored to support SDA and DoD’s growing needs and to meet the requirements of their national security missions.”

Separately, this week Momentus was approved to exit the National Security Agreement (NSA) it entered in July 2021 with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The agreement was put in place due to national security concerns because its original co-founders are Russian citizens. The co-founders are no longer with the company.

Momentus fulfilled the NSA over the past few years, which included implementing, monitoring and testing increased cybersecurity measures; and review and improvement of the company’s export control program.

“The end of the CFIUS process is an enormous positive step for Momentus that culminates more than two years of intensive work by everyone in the company,” Rood commented. “Momentus has now emerged from this rigorous process clear of any lingering security concerns.”