Space bus company Momentus has signed a new contract that will see it provide in-space transportation and deployment for Sen, the UK company that’s building a 4K real-time video streaming service providing live, high-quality views of Earth, both free for individuals and via an ope source data platform for developers and service creators.
Santa Clara-based Momentus is an in-space transportation startup that provides services to satellite companies looking to move payloads after launch. They can do things like alter the orbits of satellites, and can provide that last-mile transportation leg for payloads going up on other rockets, like the SpaceX Falcon 9, which is providing the ride for the Sen satellites to their drop-off points.
From there, Momentus will use its Vigoride orbital transfer vehicles to take the Sen satellites the rest of the way. The Vigoride is a water plasma–based propulsion vehicle that will get its first test flight later this year, and the goal is to get it to operational status by 2021. The mission on behalf of Sen is set to take place in 2022.
Sen’s technology will provide imaging from small satellites equipped with multiple cameras, and ultimately it’ll operate an entire constellation built on the foundation of the first five to be launched by Momentus. The video will be available for invidiuals to view via web and smartphone app for free, and Momentus plans to offer premium services to businesses as its go to market plan.
Once it has Vigoride up and running in an operational capacity, Momentus plans to develop a new version called Ardoride that will follow in 2022 or 2023, providing more capacity for bigger payloads and transportation to higher orbits – as well as trips as far as the Moon.
