Momentus (MNTS) Risk Factors

The manufacturing, testing, launching and operation of a spacecraft involves complex processes and technology. Our satellites employ advanced technologies and sensors that are exposed to severe environmental stresses that have and could affect the performance of satellites. Hardware component problems and software issues could lead to deterioration in performance or loss of functionality of a spacecraft. In addition, human operators may execute improper commands that may negatively impact a spacecraft's performance. Exposure of our spacecraft to an unanticipated catastrophic event, such as collision with space debris, could reduce the performance of, or completely destroy, the affected spacecraft. For example, the inaugural flight of our Vigoride spacecraft (Vigoride 3) reached LEO and was able to deploy two out of nine customer satellites, but certain anomalies relating primarily to its communication and power systems limited our ability to communicate with the vehicle. Since that time, the Vigoride spacecraft has deployed five additional customer satellites, but we have been unable to confirm the deployment of the remaining two customer satellites. The communication issues have also prevented Vigoride 3 from performing orbit change maneuvers and technology demonstrations that were part of our program to validate our technology in space, and to demonstrate end-to-end in-space transfer and service operations. During any period of time in which a spacecraft is not operational, we may lose most or all of the revenue that otherwise would have been derived from it. Our inability to repair or replace a defective type of spacecraft or correct any other technical problem in a timely manner could result in a significant loss of revenue. If a spacecraft experiences a significant anomaly such that its type is no longer operational, it would significantly impact our business, prospects, and profitability. Additionally, any satellite failures could damage our reputation and ability to obtain future customers for our launch services, prevent us from receiving any payments contingent on a successful launch and increase our insurance rates, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.

Momentus relies on its employees in the day-to-day operations of its business. Actual or threatened labor disputes may disrupt our operations and adversely affect our ability to operate as a business. Such labor disputes and disruptions may result in the loss of market share to competitors and/or have a negative impact on the Company's brand and corporate image. In addition, Momentus has experienced shortages of qualified labor in the past and may experience them in the future. Any shortages of qualified labor may have a material adverse effect on Momentus' business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

A significant portion of our business relates to designing, developing, and manufacturing advanced space technology products and services. New technologies may be untested or unproven. Failure of some of these products and services could result in extensive property damage. Accordingly, we may incur liabilities that are unique to our products and services. The amount of insurance coverage that we maintain may not be adequate to cover all claims or liabilities. Existing coverage may be canceled while we remain exposed to the risk and it is not possible to obtain insurance to protect against all operational risks, natural hazards and liabilities. We have insured against liability to third parties from launch activities as required by law to the extent that insurance was available on acceptable premiums and other terms. The insurance coverage for third-party damages may not be sufficient to cover the liability. Although the U.S. government may pay claims for third-party damages to the extent they exceed our insurance coverage, this depends on a government appropriation and is subject to a statutory limit. In addition, this insurance will not protect us against our own losses, including to our launch support operations, complex and satellites. The price and availability of insurance fluctuate significantly. Insurance market conditions or factors outside our control, such as failure of launch vehicles and satellites, could cause premiums to be significantly higher than current estimates and could reduce amounts of available coverage. The cost of our insurance has been increasing and may continue to increase. Higher premiums on insurance policies will reduce our operating income by the amount of such increased premiums. If the terms of insurance policies become less favorable than those currently available, there may be limits on the amount of coverage that we can obtain, or we may not be able to obtain insurance at all. In addition, even though we carry business interruption insurance policies, any business interruption losses could exceed the coverage available or be excluded from our insurance policies. Any disruption of our ability to operate our business could result in a material decrease in our revenues or significant additional costs to replace, repair, or insure our assets, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Our customers and suppliers face similar threats. Customer or supplier proprietary, classified, or sensitive information stored on our networks is at risk. Assets, intellectual property and products in customer or supplier environments are also inherently at risk. We also have risk where we have access to customer and supplier networks and face risks of breach, disruption, or loss as well. Satellites are subject to manufacturing and launch delays, damage, or destruction during pre-launch operations, launch failures and incorrect orbital placement, the occurrence of which can materially and adversely affect our operations. Delays in the manufacturing of satellites, launch delays, damage, or destruction during pre-launch operations, launch failures or incorrect orbital placement could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The loss of, or damage to, a satellite due to a launch failure could result in significant delays in anticipated revenue to be generated by that satellite. Any significant delay in the commencement of service of a satellite would delay or potentially permanently reduce the revenue anticipated to be generated by that satellite. In addition, if the loss of a satellite were to occur, we may not be able to accommodate affected customers with our other satellites until a replacement satellite is available, and we may not have on hand, or be able to obtain in a timely manner, the necessary funds to cover the cost of any necessary satellite replacement. Any launch delay, launch failure, underperformance, delay, or perceived delay could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, business prospects and financial condition.

In the event we file for relief under the United States Bankruptcy Code, our operations, our ability to develop and execute our business plan and our continuation as a going concern will be subject to the risks and uncertainties associated with bankruptcy proceedings, including, among other things: our ability to execute, confirm and consummate a plan of reorganization; the high costs of bankruptcy proceedings and related fees; our ability to obtain sufficient financing to allow us to emerge from bankruptcy and execute our business plan post-emergence, and our ability to comply with terms and conditions of any financing; our ability to continue our operations in the ordinary course; our ability to maintain our relationships with our customers, vendors, counterparties, employees and other third parties; our ability to obtain, maintain or renew contracts that are critical to our operations on reasonably acceptable terms and conditions; our ability to attract, motivate and retain key employees; the ability of third parties to use certain limited safe harbor provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code to terminate contracts without first seeking bankruptcy court approval; and the ability of third parties to force us to into Chapter 7 proceedings rather than Chapter 11 proceedings and the actions and decisions of our stakeholders and other third parties who have interests in our bankruptcy proceedings that may be inconsistent with our operational and strategic plans. Any delays in our bankruptcy proceedings would increase the risks of our being unable to reorganize our business and emerge from bankruptcy proceedings and may increase our costs associated with the bankruptcy process or result in prolonged operational disruption for the Company. Also, we would need the prior approval of the bankruptcy court for transactions outside the ordinary course of business during any bankruptcy proceedings, which may limit our ability to respond timely to certain events or take advantage of certain opportunities. Because of the risks and uncertainties associated with any bankruptcy proceedings, we cannot accurately predict or quantify the ultimate impact of events that could occur during any such proceedings. There can be no guarantees that if we seek protection under Chapters 7 or 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ("Bankruptcy Protection") we will emerge from such Bankruptcy Protection as a going concern or that holders of our Class A common stock will receive any recovery from any bankruptcy proceedings.

We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations relating to various aspects of our business, including with respect to our space transport operations, employment and labor, health care, tax, privacy and data security, health and safety, and environmental issues. Laws and regulations at the foreign, federal, state and local levels frequently change, especially in relation to new and emerging industries, and we cannot always reasonably predict the impact from, or the ultimate cost of compliance with, current or future regulatory or administrative changes. We monitor these developments and devote a significant amount of management's time and external resources towards compliance with these laws, regulations and guidelines, and such compliance places a significant burden on management's time and other resources, and it may limit our ability to expand into certain jurisdictions. Moreover, changes in law, the imposition of new or additional regulations or the enactment of any new or more stringent legislation that impacts our business could require us to change the way we operate and could have a material adverse effect on our sales, profitability, cash flows and financial condition. Failure to comply with these laws or regulations or failure to satisfy any criteria or other requirement under such laws or regulations, such as with respect to obtaining and maintaining licenses, certificates, authorizations and permits critical for the operation of our business, may result in civil penalties or private lawsuits, or result in a delay or the denial, suspension or revocation of licenses, certificates, authorizations or permits, which would prevent us from operating our business. For example, commercial space launches and the operation of our space transport system in the United States require licenses and permits from the FCC and review by other agencies of the U.S. government, including the FAA, the DoD and NASA. License or operational approval can include an interagency review of safety, operational, national security, and foreign policy and international obligations implications, as well as a review of foreign ownership. The FAA denial of Vigoride-1 payload review unrelated to a launch license was the result of national security concerns related to foreign ownership and control that arose during an interagency review. Future denials of similar licenses or operational approvals may occur and could have a material adverse effect on our operations, sales, profitability, cash flows and overall financial condition. In addition, failure of Momentus, its officers, to comply with governmental orders or agreements may expose Momentus and its officers to liability or penalties. Regulation of our industry is still evolving, and new or different laws or regulations could affect our operations, increase direct compliance costs for us or cause any third-party suppliers or contractors to raise the prices they charge us because of increased compliance costs. Application of these laws and regulations to our business may negatively impact our performance in various ways, limiting the collaborations we may pursue, further regulating the export and re-export of our products, services, and technology from the United States and abroad, and increasing our costs and the time necessary to obtain required authorizations. The adoption of a multi-layered regulatory approach to any one of the laws or regulations to which we are or may become subject, particularly where the layers are in conflict, could require alteration of our manufacturing processes or operational parameters which may adversely impact our business. We may not be in complete compliance with all such requirements at all times and, even when we believe we are in complete compliance, a regulatory agency may determine that we are not.

We are required to comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the ITAR administered by the U.S. Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls ("DDTC") and the EAR administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security ("BIS"). Pursuant to these foreign trade control laws and regulations, we are required, among other things, to (i) maintain a registration under the ITAR, (ii) determine the proper licensing jurisdiction and export classification of products, software, and technology, and (iii) obtain licenses or other forms of U.S. government authorization to engage in the conduct of our space transport business. Violations of applicable export control laws and related regulations could result in criminal and administrative penalties, including fines, possible denial of export privileges, and debarment, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, including our ability to enter into contracts or subcontracts for U.S. government customers. U.S. export licenses are required to transfer or make accessible certain of the Company's products, software and technical information to its non-U.S. employees ("deemed exports"). The Company has, from time-to-time, self-reported potential violations of export control laws to the Office of Export Enforcement (the "OEE") of BIS as noted below. While these incidents did not result in any monetary or non-monetary penalties, if we are found to be in violation of export control laws and regulations in the future, we could face civil and criminal liabilities, monetary and non-monetary penalties, the loss of export or import privileges, debarment and/or reputational harm. - On September 6, 2019, the Company notified the OEE of BIS via an Initial Notice of Voluntary Disclosure that it was possible that various unauthorized deemed exports of EAR-controlled technology to employees of the Company may have occurred. The Company completed a full audit of its trade compliance program at the time and identified several violations which related to the apparently unintentional and unauthorized disclosure of certain limited export-controlled data to non-U.S. employees of the Company. Additional compliance protocols were implemented as part of an internal corrective action process. This disclosure was closed by BIS pursuant to a Warning Letter dated April 20, 2020. - On May 5, 2021, the Company notified OEE via an Initial Notice of Voluntary Disclosure that a Momentus employee may have inadvertently exported an email containing EAR-controlled technology to a German firm engaged in certain design work without required export authorization. The Company submitted the Germany-related final report to BIS on October 28, 2021. This disclosure was closed by BIS pursuant to a Warning Letter dated April 8, 2022. - On June 11, 2021, the Company notified OEE via an Initial Notice of Voluntary Disclosure that Momentus may have inadvertently exported various EAR-controlled hardware to Poland, Singapore, Norway, and Italy without required export authorization. The Company submitted a final report on the matter to BIS on July 29, 2022. The inability to secure and maintain necessary export authorizations could negatively impact our ability to compete successfully or to operate our spaceflight business as planned. For example, if we were unable to obtain or maintain our licenses to export certain spacecraft hardware, we would be effectively prohibited from launching our vehicles from certain non-U.S. locations, which would limit the number of launch providers we could use. In addition, if we were unable to obtain a Technical Assistance Agreement from the DDTC to export certain launch-related services, we would experience difficulties or even be unable to perform integration activities necessary to safely integrate our transfer vehicles to non-U.S. launch vehicles. In both cases, these restrictions could lead to higher launch costs, which may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. Similarly, if we were unable to secure effective export licensure to authorize the full scope of activity with a foreign partner or supplier, we may be required to make design changes to spacecraft or updates to our supplier chain, which may result in increased costs to us or delays in vehicle launches. Any changes in the export control regulations or U.S. government licensing policy, such as those necessary to implement U.S. government commitments to multilateral control regimes, may restrict our operations. There is no inherent right to perform an export and given the significant discretion the government has in adjudicating such authorizations in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, there can be no assurance we will be successful in our current and future efforts to secure and maintain necessary licenses, registrations, or other U.S. government regulatory approvals. In addition, U.S. export control laws continue to change. For example, the control lists under the ITAR and the EAR are periodically updated to reclassify specific types of export-controlled technology. For example, any changes to the jurisdictional assignment of controlled data or hardware used by Momentus could result in the need for different export authorizations, each then subject to a subsequent approval. Similarly, should exceptions or exemptions under the EAR or the ITAR, respectively, be changed, Momentus' activities otherwise authorized via these mechanisms may become unavailable and could result in the need for additional export authorizations. Additionally, changes to the administrative implementation of export control laws at the agency level may suddenly change as a result of geo-political events, which could result in existing or proposed export authorization applications being viewed in unpredictable ways, or potentially rejected, as a result of the changed agency level protocol

We have previously experienced, and may experience in the future, delays or other complications in the design, manufacture and commercialization of new rocket launch services, mission services, satellites, satellite components and related technology. If we fail to develop and successfully commercialize new technologies, if we fail to develop such technologies before our competitors, or if such technologies fail to perform as expected, or are inferior to those of our competitors, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be materially and adversely impacted.

Our customer contracts are cancellable by customers for convenience. If a customer cancels a contract before it is required to pay the last deposit prior to launch, we may not receive all potential revenue from these orders, except for an initial non-refundable deposit which is typically due at the time the contract is signed. In certain situations, Momentus may decide to refund customers for their deposits, even though it is not contractually required, to maintain goodwill with customers. In addition, if we do not receive regulatory approvals in a timely manner, or our future missions experience anomalies in addition to the issues experienced by our inaugural Vigoride mission (Vigoride 3), our prospects will be materially adversely affected.

Our current primary research and development objectives focus on the development of satellites, satellite buses, related satellite technologies such as solar arrays and our existing and future Orbital Service Vehicles and related technology. If we do not complete development of these vehicles in our anticipated timeframes or at all, our ability to grow our business will be adversely affected. The successful development of our vehicles and related technology involves many uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, including, but not limited to: - timing in finalizing satellite and Orbital Service Vehicle design and specifications;- successful completion of test programs and demonstration missions;- whether we will receive and the timing of receipt of licenses and government approvals that will allow us to fly our vehicles in space and gather valuable data that will assist in further development of our vehicles;- meeting stated technological objectives and goals for the design on time, on budget and within target cost objectives;- our ability to obtain additional applicable approvals, licenses or certifications from regulatory agencies and maintaining current approvals, licenses or certifications;- our ability to secure slots on our launch providers' manifests;- performance of our manufacturing facility despite risks that disrupt productions, such as natural disasters;- performance of a limited number of suppliers for certain raw materials and supplied components and their willingness to do business with us;- performance of our third-party contractors that support our research and development activities;- our ability to protect our intellectual property critical to the design and function of our transport vehicles; and - our ability to continue funding and maintaining our research and development activities.