GeekWire | Swarm Technologies chooses Momentus and SpaceX to launch constellation of tiny satellites

An artist's conceptions shows Momentus' Vigoride in-space shuttle moving a payload in orbit. (Momentus Illustration)

Swarm Technologies has struck an agreement with California-based Momentus for the launch of a dozen telecommunication satellites, each the size of a slice of bread, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in December.

• The December rideshare mission is the first of a series that Momentum plans to execute for Swarm, continuing into 2021 and 2022. Swarm plans to have 150 satellites launched over the next couple of years for a communication network in low Earth orbit.
• The first 12 SpaceBee satellites covered by the agreement announced today will be deployed into orbit from the Falcon 9. The inch-thick satellites fit into a 3U CubeSat deployer that's about the size of a large loaf of bread.
• Starting next year, the missions will take advantage of Momentus' Vigoride in-space shuttle, which is designed to move payloads around once they're in orbit. The Vigoride spacecraft will facilitate deployments of the satellites into their optimal positions for Swarm's constellation.

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