Momentus, a commercial space company that offers satellites and in-space infrastructure, including transportation and other in-orbit services, signed a five-year, $15 million master services agreement with Calif.-based Velo3D, which makes a metal 3D printer featuring proprietary SupportFree printing technology that allows complex metal parts to be printed without traditional supports.
The new deal enables Momentus to leverage the additive manufacturing capabilities of Velo3D for faster, lower-cost production of space system components for its own use, but also sell critical metal 3D printed components to customers in the space industry as an added revenue stream.
“We are … excited about the ability to expand our product offerings to create new revenue streams through sales of space system components that are 3D printed,” says Momentus’ CEO John Rood in a statement.
Under the agreement, Velo3D will provide consulting and parts production through its new Rapid Production Solutions (RPS) offering, and in exchange, Momentus issued company stock to Velo3D.
Velo3D has had a rocky few years. After going public in 2021 and profiting from increased interest in metal 3D printing in the aerospace and defense markets, Velo3D’s rapid expansion led to huge revenue losses in 2023 and stock market delisting in 2024. Company restructuring resulted in a bounce back in late 2024 with new orders coming from existing customers, including SpaceX.
Momentus has a similar history, going public in 2021 and being delisted in 2024.
As demand for the technology in the space sector continues to grow, Momentus and Velo3D took the opportunity to partner in an agreement that will bolster both companies. Velo3D is still free to sell its 3D printers. It can also provide metal 3D printing services, but only with the capacity not used by Momentus and at a fee paid to Momentus.
The notion that manufacturers in critical industries are more interested in buying parts rather than buying 3D printers is the basket into which these companies have put their eggs.
Velo3D and Momentus’ RPS program includes working hand-in-hand with customers to develop application-specific solutions, with a focus on aerospace, defense, and energy. “Understanding that each customer has unique needs, RPS offers multiple production pathways;” according the Velo3D, “vertically integrate AM production within the customer’s own operations, partner with contract manufacturers to expand capacity without significant capital investment, or leverage Velo3D’s production cells for scalable surge capacity, allowing rapid scaling without significant capital investment.”
The partnership underscore a missing element that may have been stymying metal 3D printer growth in the U.S., namely part services, application development, and an existing network of customers.
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