Solstar Space Company recently announced a strategic partnership agreement with Momentus Space that allows the two companies to work together to enable on-demand connectivity for objects in orbit.

Momentus (NASDAQ: MNTS), based in San Jose, California, makes small satellites, satellite components and provides service with orbital transfer vehicles to both deliver other satellites to precision orbits and to host payloads, according to CEO John Rood.

Utilizing a mission expected to be launched in 2026 via an upcoming SpaceX Transporter ride-share flight purchased by Momentus, Solstar’s Deke Space Communicator will complete its first on-orbit demonstration in low-earth orbit.
Solstar’s Wi-Fi will be out-of-this-world, literally, “(Solstar’s technology) is just basically modernizing the way space-to-ground communications has been done,” said Brian Barnett, founder and CEO of Solstar.

Most spacecraft, manned and unmanned, rely on transmission towers for communication. Ground communications can be costly, provided by vendors and only allow for a “periodic burst” of communication, sometimes 10 minutes according to Barnett, when a spacecraft passes over a ground station.

Solstar is seeking to change that by bringing on-demand Wi-Fi and narrowband internet connectivity to space, according to the release.

The majority of “things” that are launched into space are unmanned, according to Barnett, who refers to the company’s service as really the “internet of things.”

However, that doesn’t mean Deke cannot be used for human connection in space. The product could be placed on the International Space Station and allow for phone calls, hot spots, texts, emails and more.

The startup’s connectivity solution has the capacity to allow customers, in this case Momentus and its clients, to utilize commercial satellite constellations to communicate with other systems aboard spacecraft in orbit.

The company’s technology has the potential to bring a new capacity to both commercial and government customers, following the launch in 2026.
The flight will include a number of payloads from other customers on board the spacecraft, including a payload from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which will also be able to use the communications system.

“We’re pretty excited about the partnership, because that’s a real advancement in what you can do today for communications with space today,” Rood said.
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Solstar’s Deke Space Communicator will complete its first on-orbit demonstration in low-earth orbit (LEO).

Solstar won’t be the first to bring connectivity to space, but Rood believes Solstar will be the first to do it at a price point “attractive to a broad market-based sector.”
He also said the ability to communicate in an on-demand way, and leveraging Solstar’s relationship with Iridium is “pivotal.” Solstar provides satellite devices and solar chargers for the company.

“It’s not been applied to space systems yet, and I think here the ability for a broad swath of customers and mission types to be able to utilize this kind of service … hasn’t really been around in the way Solstar envisions,” he said.

Debra Werner

 WASHINGTON – Momentus announced an agreement March 11 to provide Vigoride space tug customers with on-demand connectivity through a partnership with Solstar Space.

Momentus plans to perform the first on-orbit demonstration in early 2026 of Solstar’s Deke Space Communicator, a narrowband data-relay transceiver designed to offer persistent communication links between satellites and payload operators on the ground as well as between spacecraft.  

“It’s going to provide an interesting capability, both for Momentus as well as for customers that fly with us to be able to communicate on demand,” Momentus CEO John Rood told SpaceNews.

On-demand communications will be particularly helpful, Rood said, for mission operators investigating or resolving anomalies, or conducting proximity operations.

While Momentus has designed “a lot of autonomy into proximity operations, if you start to have more continuous communications coverage, like Solstar provides, this really opens up the boundaries,” Rood said.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the anchor customer for the Vigoride flight scheduled to launch in February 2026. Momentus will perform robotic assembly of a large antenna-like structure in low-Earth orbit under a $3.5 million award for phase 3 of the Novel Orbital and Manufacturing, Materials, and Mass-efficient Design (NOM4D) program.

Sharing the Vigoride bus will be a multispectral rendezvous and proximity operations demonstration for AFWERX.

“We’ll release a small satellite. Then, we’ll get close and observe it with infrared, lidar and optical sensors,” Rood said.

The flight also will accomodate commercial customers, including some who were scheduled to fly on a 2024 Vigoride flight.

Deke Space Communicator

Through the Vigoride flight, “we’re going to be able to test all aspects of the Deke Space Communicator and add value to Momentus, our initial customer for this,” Brian Barnett, Solstar founder and CEO, told SpaceNews. “We’re going to test the local area Wi-Fi and provide the spacecraft with a satellite-internet connection in low-Earth orbit. The Deke provides 24/7, two-way connectivity to the desktop.”

This will be the first test of Solstar’s technology in low-Earth orbit. Solstar demonstrated its Wi-Fi technology on two Blue Origin New Shepard suborbital capsules and an Up Aerospace rocket.

Satellite and payload operators are no longer satisfied with intermittent communications, Barnett said, because they want the ability to task instruments and receive data instantaneously.

Beyond the February flight, Momentus and Solstar are exploring opportunities to offer additional hosted-payload and data-relay services.

Companies Plan to Demonstrate Wi-Fi Connectivity in 2026 on SpaceX Rideshare Launch

SAN JOSE, Calif. – March 11, 2025 – Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus”), a U.S. commercial space company offering satellite buses, technologies, transportation, and other in-space infrastructure services, and Solstar Space Company (“Solstar”), a U.S. space communications company making on-orbit WiFi communications available, are pleased to announce the signing of a strategic partnership agreement. Momentus and Solstar Space will collaborate to make new ways of operating in space possible by enabling our customers to have on-demand connectivity with their systems in space.

This connectivity will allow customers to use commercial satellite constellations to communicate on-demand with systems aboard spacecraft in orbit, instead of relying on costly ground communications services provided by specialized vendors that only provide periodic burst communications when their spacecraft passes over a ground station. The type of connectivity that Momentus and Solstar plan to provide will allow space system operators to communicate with their systems on-orbit the same way they use Wi-Fi on Earth to communicate continuously and on-demand.

Momentus and Solstar will conduct the first on-orbit demonstration of Solstar’s Deke Space Communicator in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) on a mission that will be launched on an upcoming SpaceX Transporter rideshare as soon as early 2026. The Deke Space Communicator will provide on-demand Wi-Fi and narrowband Internet connectivity for Momentus and its customers.

Through our partnership, our companies plan to accelerate development and demonstration of our technologies and substantially improve our ability to bring new capabilities to market for commercial and government customers.

This strategic partnership leverages the strengths and expertise of both companies and aims to make it possible for our customers to utilize on-demand, persistent, and cost-effective communication with space systems across a variety of mission types and operational orbits. Under the terms of the agreement, Momentus and Solstar will work closely and pursue joint opportunities in hosted payload services and space data relay communications systems.

“Our strategic partnership builds on the flight-proven capabilities that Momentus has for hosted payloads and satellite buses and leverages the innovative on-orbit WiFi and Internet connectivity that Solstar is developing,” said John Rood, CEO of Momentus Space. “By blending our technological core competencies and the talents of our teams, we can bring a new capability to our customers for on-demand communication to operate space systems on-orbit like we have come to use daily on Earth.”

“This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone for both companies,” said Brian Barnett, Founder and CEO of Solstar. “By collaborating with Momentus, we are poised to accelerate our growth and bring new, transformative solutions to the market. Our Deke Space Communicator, along with its onboard WiFi capabilities, is uniquely positioned to support missions like the planned Momentus launch where reliable connectivity to onboard spacecraft communications systems is important to successful mission completion. We look forward to a successful partnership that will create value for our respective customers and stakeholders.”

About Momentus Inc.
Momentus is a U.S. commercial space company that offers commercial satellite buses and in-space infrastructure services including in-space transportation, hosted payloads, and other in-orbit services.

About Solstar Space Company
Solstar Space is the leading commercial space-based connectivity company pioneering the use of Space WiFi for all types of on-orbit assets including satellites, space stations, launch vehicles, and more. We provide a secure internet connection between spacecraft and Earth-based payload managers and satellite operators, and enable communications for crewed missions in sub-orbit, LEO, cis-lunar, and lunar surface operations.

Our fast, reliable services, space-tested routers, WiFi access points and hotspots, and space-based satellite data relays are being developed to deliver on-orbit connectivity and are supported by 24/7 customer care. These devices are installed on satellites and spacecraft prior to launch to keep crew, spacecraft, and Earth-based satellite operations teams connected. Visit https://www.solstarspace.com.

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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain statements which may constitute “forward-looking statements” for purposes of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expected filing of the Company’s Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and its management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future, projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, and are not guarantees of future performance. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of Momentus’ control. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties included under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by the Company on June 6, 2024, as amended by that certain Annual Report on Form 10-K/A filed by the Company on September 16, 2024, as such factors may be updated from time to time in our other filings with the Commission, accessible on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at investors.momentus.space. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Momentus Contact:
Media Inquiries | press@momentus.space

Investor Inquiries | investors@momentus.space

Business Inquiries | sales@momentus.space

Solstar Contact:
Media Inquiries | Lisa Dreher | lisa@solstarspace.com | +1 425-442-1301
Investor Inquiries | Brian Barnett | barnett@solstarspace.com | +1 505-389-2299
Business Inquiries | Brian Barnett | barnett@solstarspace.com | +1 505-389-2299

Solstar will develop purpose-built, space-ready WiFi solutions engineered to address requirements for spacecraft connectivity for telemetry, remote flight control, and scientific research.

May 29, 2024 – SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO, USA – Solstar Space (Solstar), the company making space Wi-Fi available, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Phase I contract in the amount of $74,752 to address pressing challenges for the Department of the Air Force (DAF) to connect spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and beyond. The contract supports research to support further development of Solstar’s space-rated WiFi Access Points and client WiFi Network Cards. The solutions will be engineered to support Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) to support In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), scientific and medical experiment data, and other applications.

“While WiFi has been demonstrated aboard the International Space Station using one-off non-radiation-tolerant units, today there isn’t a commercially available space-grade WiFi solution. The usefulness of WiFi in space has been proven via improvised solutions with limited capability and applicability. Solstar’s design will provide full WiFi capabilities and features and supports any WiFi-enabled device or application. As the requirements for WiFi connected capabilities continue to evolve and increase in LEO, cislunar, and lunar surface applications, reliable, secure WiFi solutions will be essential to fulfilling important mission objectives,” says Brian Barnett, CEO, Solstar Space.

“Solstar WiFi access points and client cards will meet the requirements of a broad range of space missions including LEO space stations and service spacecraft, lunar gateways, transfer vehicles, landers, and modules, and lunar surface habitats, vehicles, spacesuits, and IoT mesh networks and wireless bridges. The need for space WiFi is virtually unlimited and growing,” continues Barnett.

Solstar WiFi access points and client cards will be engineered to meet the requirements of spaceflight missions for today and the future including:

• Radiation and temperature tolerance
• Compatibility with the lunar surface environment
• High-power radio frequency (RF)
• Elimination of cable runs
• Future-proof design for extended operation
• Software defined and support for all IEEE 802.11 standards with API based remote management and updates

To learn more about Solstar WiFi solutions, visit https://www.solstarspace.com/.

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

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Media Inquiries | Lisa Dreher | lisa@solstarspace.com | +1 425-442-1301

Investor Inquiries | Brian Barnett | barnett@solstarspace.com | +1 505-389-2299

Business Inquiries | Brian Barnett | barnett@solstarspace.com | +1 505-389-2299

ABOUT SOLSTAR SPACE

Solstar Space is the leading commercial space-based connectivity company pioneering the use of persistent communications services for all types of on-orbit assets including satellites, space stations, launch vehicles, and more. We provide an internet connection between spacecraft and Earth-based payload managers, satellite operators, and enable communications for crewed missions in sub-orbit, LEO, and cis-lunar and lunar surface operations.

Our fast, reliable services, space-tested routers, WiFi access points and hotspots, and space-based satellite data relays are being developed to deliver on-orbit connectivity and are supported by 24/7 customer care. These devices are installed on satellites and spacecraft prior to launch to keep crew, spacecraft, and Earth-based satellite operations teams connected. Visit https://www.solstarspace.com. 

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About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 6,028 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit:  www.afwerx.com.

About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com.