In November, a SpaceX Transporter rideshare launch experienced a setback. Three satellites, including one from Momentus, failed to deploy. The Transporter-9 launch on November 11 carried five satellites for Momentus. However, only two were confirmed deployed. Momentus used a third-party deployer for this mission. The company, after an investigation, believes the remaining three satellites were not released.
The affected satellites include AMAN-1, JINJUSat-1, and Picacho. Picacho, a 1U cubesat by Lunasonde, aimed to demonstrate technology for mapping subsurface resources. After the launch, Lunasonde indicated that Picacho was in orbit and operational. This included reports of successful main antenna deployment. However, recent developments from Momentus contradict this claim.
Jeremiah Pate, Lunasonde’s founder, had previously confirmed the satellite’s orbit on social media. But, no further updates on Picacho’s status have been provided. Efforts to contact Lunasonde for updates remain unanswered. Pate did reveal plans for another satellite, San Xavier, scheduled for a 2024 launch. However, the status of Picacho, if not deployed, is uncertain as the Falcon 9’s upper stage has reentered the atmosphere.
Space-Track database does not list Picacho, AMAN-1, or JINJUSat-1. This absence supports Momentus’ claim of deployment failure. Momentus has acknowledged SpaceX’s support and continues its investigation. The loss of these satellites follows a series of space mishaps, including the failure of the original AMAN satellite on a Virgin Orbit launch.
