Momentus Space

As shown in the folling roadmap diagram, with Momentus' first orbital flight demonstration planned to be ready for launch in 2019, Momentus technology roadmap starts with the ZealTM and VigorTM technologies that they are adapting for flight. Momentus will be ready to start taking orders for small sat transportation services in Earth orbit for launch in 2020 or later with their ArdorideTM and VigorideTM SmallSat space tugsspace tugs. By 2021 Momentus plan to have FervorideTM ready which is a high performance space tug designed to deliver a new generation of GEO sats. Momentus' roadmap includes ValorideTM a large scale space tug designed to support space manufacturing, asteroid mining and resupply for space hotels. ValorideTM is Momentus' proposed workhorse transportation service that ferries equipment and supplies throughout cislunar space and between LEO, GEO, and the asteroids.

METs are plasma-based electrothermal devices that use JouleJoule heating of a partially ionized gas to heat un-ionized propellant which is then ejected through a converging-diverging nozzle to create thrust in the same manner as chemical rockets. The thruster body itself is a microwave resonant cavity that allows for microwave breakdown of virtually any gas-state propellant. Momentus is developing an MET system that uses water as the propellant in a highly localized region just upstream of the rocket throat. A combination of solar array power and batteries (depending on duty cycle) provides the energy necessary for operation. For their high power systems, the microwave power to drive the system is generated by magnetrons, which are the highest known efficiency means of producing radiation from electric power and are highly mature in the terrestrial food preparation and materials processing industries.

S-band MET Thruster in the lab.

The above figure on the right shows an image of an S-Band (2.45 GHz) MET operating in the Momentus laboratory using water propellant at a power Level of 3 kW.

Momentus Space was founded by space entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich and his partner Lev Khasis in Santa Clara in 2017. Momentus was originally born out of discussions with satellite operators seeking more affordable space transportation. Momentus is developing in-space propulsion systems powered by microwave electro-thermal (MET) water plasma engines. Momentus Space is the first in-space transportation services company buildbuilt around high performance water plasma rocket propulsion. Momentus’ water plasma propulsions systems are use water which is cheap, non-toxic, and considered safe, and easy to work with. Water based propulsion could provide a path to breaking the ties of space industries to the Earth by allowing resupply from asteroids.

Momentus Space is based on over 30 years of university research funded by NASA and the US Air Force. Momentus Space also has several new patent pending Momentus innovations. Momentus Space microwave electrothermal water propulsion systems use one third the propellant as chemical propulsion systems and delivers payloads three times faster than solar electric ion propulsion.

METs are plasma-based electrothermal devices that use Joule heating of a partially ionized gas to heat un-ionized propellant which is then ejected through a converging-diverging nozzle to create thrust in the same manner as chemical rockets. The thruster body itself is a microwave resonant cavity that allows for microwave breakdown of virtually any gas-state propellant. Momentus is specifically developing an MET system that uses water as the propellant in a highly localized region just upstream of the rocket throat. A combination of solar array power and batteries (depending on duty cycle) provides the energy necessary for operation. For their high power systems, the microwave power to drive the system is generated by magnetrons, which are the highest known efficiency means of producing radiation from electric power and are highly mature in the terrestrial food preparation and materials processing industries.