The story
Founded by Mikhail Kokorich.1
Founding and Early Operations (2017–2020)
Momentus was founded in 2017 by Mikhail Kokorich and Lev Khasis. The company gained early venture backing through Y Combinator and Prime Movers Lab based on its concept of a "space tug" that would transport small satellites from drop-off orbits provided by heavy-lift rockets to custom operational orbits using low-cost water plasma propulsion.
SPAC Merger and Regulatory Issues (2020–2022)
In October 2020, Momentus announced plans to become a public company via a SPAC merger with Stable Road Acquisition Corp. Prior to the merger's completion, the company faced significant regulatory intervention. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) forced Kokorich, a Russian national, to step down due to national security concerns regarding foreign access to sensitive aerospace technology.
Concurrently, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Momentus and Stable Road with misleading investors regarding the success of a 2019 propulsion test. The company settled the charges for $7 million, overhauled its board of directors, and required the founders to divest their shares. Following compliance with a National Security Agreement (NSA), Momentus was cleared by the FAA to resume flight operations.
Defense Pivot and Stabilization (2023–Present)
In 2023, Momentus appointed John Rood as Chief Executive Officer. Under Rood's leadership, the company shifted its strategic focus toward complex government infrastructure projects, including autonomous rendezvous, proximity operations (RPO), and in-space assembly.
In January 2026, Momentus was selected as a qualified vendor for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) SHIELD program, a multi-award contract vehicle with a $151 billion ceiling over ten years, marking the company's formal integration into major U.S. defense infrastructure planning.
From Wikipedia’s article on Momentus space, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.6