FOSSA Systems and Momentus Announce Launch of Nine PocketQube Satellites

FOSSA Systems and Momentus  announced they have signed a service agreement. Two FOSSA PocketPod deployers carrying a total of nine PocketQube spacecraft (16P Total) will be launched in February 2021 on the second Vigoride demo mission onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

CSHARKPILOT-1 (FOSSASAT-2E) is a 2P satellite manufactured by FOSSA to house an Internet of things (IoT) payload by Italian technological provider CShark. This satellite aims to experiment with LoRa nodes processed through their turnkey Pongo user interface for visualizations and big data analysis. 

LAIKA (FOSSASAT-2B) is a 2P satellite manufactured by FOSSA and carrying an innovative new propulsion system. In partnership with Stockholm start-up porkchop, LAIKA will be using their structurally-embedded electric propulsion system. 

Challenger is a 3P Earth Observation and Communications satellite made using Windform, a carbon based material from CRP Technology. Challenger is designed by US based Mini-Cubes Space Development. 

SanoSat-1 is a 1P amateur satellite developed by ORIONSpace in Nepal to experiment with Radiation monitoring and a HAM digipeater.

TRSI3 is a 1P amateur satellite developed to test an experimental SSTV imaging downlink and amateur downlink beacon.

Canary Hatchling is a 1P satellite developed by Care Weather Technologies, located in Utah, USA. Hatchling is an early pathfinder mission for Care Weather's future cubesat constellation, which will map global oceanic vector winds on an hourly basis. The Hatchling mission provides in-orbit testing for Care Weather's vertically integrated satellite bus.

Three dedicated FOSSA satellites (FOSSASAT-2C, FOSSASAT-2D and FOSSASAT-2F) will be the first of a constellation to provide LoRa-based IoT communications. These are second generation 2P satellites aimed at providing a high performance PocketQube platform for dedicated constellations and low-cost in-orbit demonstration. This new platform has 1P of payload space, can provide up to 9 watts of solar power, has full ADCS pointing capability and multiple storage/processing options.

“FOSSA is very pleased to be partnering with Momentus in these initial steps, we are looking forward to working with Momentus to establish a stable low-cost orbital access service for the long-run,” said Julian Fernandez, CEO of FOSSA Systems.

“Momentus welcomes FOSSA Systems into our growing family of customers. This new partnership demonstrates the versatility of the Vigoride shuttle service to deploy the widest range of spacecraft, from PocketQubes to smallsats,” said Mikhail Kokorich, CEO of Momentus.

In May 2020, Momentus announced a launch service agreement with another Picosatellite specialist, Alba Orbital. Subsequent Vigoride missions are planned to carry Picosatellites from specialized partners who, together with Momentus, will pave the way for affordable constellations of Picosatellites in the near future.