NOTE 13 - COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
We are subject to legal proceedings, claims and liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of business. We accrue for losses associated with legal claims when such losses are considered probable and the amounts can be reasonably estimated. The Company bases any accrual for losses on a variety of factors, including informal settlement discussions. As of December 31, 2024, the aggregate amount accrued was approximately $2.1 million. The amounts accrued as of December 31, 2023 for legal matters were not material. For matters for which no accrual has currently been made or for potential losses in excess of amounts accrued, the Company currently believes, based on its internal investigations, that any losses that are reasonably possible and estimable will not, in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, the ultimate outcome of legal proceedings involves judgments, estimates, and inherent uncertainties and cannot be predicted with certainty. Should the ultimate outcome of any legal matter be unfavorable, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The Company may also incur substantial legal fees, which are expensed as incurred, in defending against legal claims.

On November 22, 2024, Starlight Strategies IV LLC ( “Plaintiff”), an alleged successor in interest to a purported former holder of shares of the Company’s 10% Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) filed a breach of contract action in Delaware Chancery Court. The complaint alleges that the Plaintiff’s predecessor received fewer shares of common stock upon conversion of its shares of Series A Preferred Stock than it was allegedly entitled to receive under the terms of the applicable certificate of designation. The Plaintiff is seeking unspecified contractual damages and equitable relief.  The Company has filed its answer to the complaint and asserted counterclaims against the Plaintiff and third-party claims against certain entities affiliated with the Plaintiff. Also, on January 24, 2025, Kingstown 1740 Fund L.P. and Kingstown Capital Partners LLC (together, “Kingstown”) moved to intervene, seeking to file a complaint in intervention against Starlight. The court granted Kingstown leave to intervene. In connection with the intervention, the Company has agreed to pay Kingstown’s legal fees. We believe that we have meritorious defenses and claims against the Plaintiff and its affiliates, and we intend to vigorously defend the litigation.
Purchase Commitments
From time-to-time, we enter into long-term commitments with vendors to purchase launch services and for the development of certain components in conjunction with our obligations under revenue contracts with our customers. As of December 31, 2024, we had remaining purchase obligations under non-cancelable commitments with ten vendors totaling $97.1 million of which approximately $39.0 million due in 2025, $37.8 million due in 2026, and the remaining $20.3 million due in 2027.

About Commitments Disclosures

Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.

Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.