Momentus and NASA plan joint mission to test orbital servicing technologies

Written by Copernical Team Tuesday, 10 February 2026 06:40

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Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2026

Momentus Inc. has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA for a new low Earth orbit mission that will test technologies for in-orbit servicing, assembly, and autonomous operations. The collaboration centers on using the companys Vigoride 7 Orbital Service Vehicle as a host platform for multiple demonstrations designed to improve how spacecraft maneuver, communicate, and work together in spa

by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 10, 2026

Momentus Inc. has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA for a new low Earth orbit mission that will test technologies for in-orbit servicing, assembly, and autonomous operations. The collaboration centers on using the companys Vigoride 7 Orbital Service Vehicle as a host platform for multiple demonstrations designed to improve how spacecraft maneuver, communicate, and work together in space.

Under the agreement, Momentus will deliver a NASA CubeSat to low Earth orbit to carry out joint rendezvous and proximity operations and formation flying activities with Vigoride 7. At the heart of the mission is NASAs R5 Spacecraft 10, or R5-S10, which will operate as a free-flying imager to monitor the health and performance of the Vigoride 7 vehicle during these operations.

The R5-S10 technology demonstration is funded and managed by NASAs Small Spacecraft Technology program and the Engineering Directorate at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. The Small Spacecraft Technology program is based at NASAs Ames Research Center in Californias Silicon Valley and operates within the agencys Space Technology Mission Directorate, which focuses on developing new capabilities for future missions.

Mission planners view the R5-S10 work as an important step in advancing In-Space Assembly and Manufacturing capabilities. By refining how spacecraft approach, inspect, and operate near one another, the mission aims to help pave the way for future autonomous construction, maintenance, and servicing of infrastructure in orbit.

NASA is also supporting Momentus on a separate but related effort during the Vigoride 7 mission involving the Low-Cost Multispectral RPO Sensor suite, known as LCMRS. Momentus has been selected to perform this rendezvous demonstration mission for the Air Force Research Labs SPACEWERX organization, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force.

The LCMRS system is designed to improve spacecraft situational awareness and relative navigation by using multispectral sensing to track nearby objects. These capabilities are considered critical for in-space assembly, autonomous satellite servicing, and the management of space debris, where precise knowledge of positions and motion is essential for safe operations.

In addition to the proximity operations and sensing experiments, the mission will test inter-satellite links using WiFi-based data transmission between the CubeSat and the Vigoride host platform. The CubeSat will send large data files to Vigoride 7, which will then downlink the information to the Momentus Operations Center and to NASA Johnson.

This communications demonstration is intended to show how real-time or near-real-time data transfer between cooperating spacecraft can support more complex missions. If successful, such links could enable future constellations and servicing vehicles to share imagery, health data, and navigation information without relying solely on ground stations.

R5-S10 will fly alongside several other payloads aboard Vigoride 7, which is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2026 on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission to low Earth orbit. Momentus reports that the Vigoride 7 Orbital Service Vehicle is fully booked with hosted payloads, underscoring demand for multi-manifest missions that can support a range of government and commercial objectives on a single platform.

According to the company, combining multiple payloads on one in-orbit mission increases the value and fidelity of each individual experiment, as instruments can cross-calibrate and share data in a common environment. Hosted payloads and servicing demonstrations such as these are viewed as a way to reduce costs while accelerating the pace of technology development in orbit.

Momentus positions Vigoride 7 as part of a broader strategy to provide satellite buses, hosted payload services, and in-space infrastructure to both government and commercial customers. Use cases include national security tracking missions, scientific research, and future autonomous operations that rely on vehicles capable of repositioning and supporting other spacecraft.

The upcoming mission with NASA builds on this strategy by emphasizing cost-effective and scalable approaches to space servicing. By integrating rendezvous and proximity operations, inter-satellite communications, and formation flying into a single mission profile, the partners aim to demonstrate a toolkit of capabilities relevant to a wide range of future orbital activities.

If the demonstrations perform as planned, the technologies proven on Vigoride 7 could support next-generation concepts such as modular space stations, on-orbit refueling depots, and debris-removal tugs. The collaboration is therefore seen as part of a larger shift toward a more service-oriented space economy in low Earth orbit and beyond.