Momentus Inc., a U.S. commercial space company offering satellite buses, technologies, transportation, and other in-space transportation services, announced that the U.S. Air Force Research Labs AFWERX organization has selected a proposal from Momentus to perform an in-space demonstration flight of a new, low-cost suite of multispectral sensors for Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO).

AFWERX is the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force under the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). AFWERX has been chartered to bring cutting-edge ingenuity from small businesses to address the most pressing challenges of the Air Force.

In 2024, Momentus submitted a proposal under the AFWERX Challenge and was recently formally notified that its proposal for a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project to perform a multi-spectral RPO demonstration was selected after evaluation in a competitive process. Momentus expects to complete contract negotiations shortly. This selection underscores Momentus' commitment to pioneering innovative solutions for national defense.

Under the SBIR project, Momentus plans to use a Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) system it has developed using internal R&D funds and an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, and a Lidar sensor. (Lidar is a remote-sensing technology that uses laser beams to measure distances and movement in an environment.)

A flight demonstration in early 2026 is planned that will show the ability of low-cost RPO sensors to safely guide the approach and rendezvous of a space vehicle with a previously uncharacterized client object using machine vision algorithms and data fusion developed by Momentus. Reducing the cost while ensuring high operational safety for in-space rendezvous is a key enabling technology needed for the future of in-space refueling of satellites, manufacturing, assembly, servicing, and debris removal.

The rendezvous sensor demonstration for AFWERX will join other payloads, including from the Department of Defense and commercial customers, on a mission that Momentus has contracted with SpaceX to join a Transporter rideshare launch in early 2026.

For this mission, Momentus has additional capacity to support customers planning LEO deployment and hosted payload missions in early 2026. Government and commercial customers interested in utilizing the ability of the Vigoride vehicle to cost-effectively launch and deliver microsatellites up to 200 kg and cubesats, provide average power up to 1kW, and deploy or operate hosted payloads in orbits above 500 km and below the International Space Station are encouraged to contact Momentus.

“We’re thrilled to be selected to perform this in-space demonstration to support the U.S. Air Force with cutting-edge technology,” said Momentus Chief Executive Officer John Rood. "We’re at a key juncture in the development of technology to enable new operations in space that are critical to America’s security and commercial operations in space. We see this selection as an exceptional opportunity to continue Momentus technology leadership to support national security and new commercial activities."

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