Impulse Space logo

Impulse Space

operating 201–500 employees

Designs and operates orbital transfer vehicles that move payloads between orbits using high-thrust chemical propulsion, delivering to GEO in under a day.

About

Impulse Space designs, manufactures, and operates orbital transfer vehicles that transport payloads between orbits using high-thrust chemical propulsion. The company produces two primary vehicles: Helios, a kick stage powered by the Deneb methalox engine at 67 kN thrust that delivers multi-ton payloads from LEO to GEO in under a day, and Mira, a maneuvering spacecraft equipped with eight Saiph thrusters burning nitrous oxide and ethane that provides last-mile delivery, payload hosting, and precision orbital maneuvers with up to 300 kg capacity. Mira completed its first flight in November 2023 and has flown three missions to date.

Founded in 2021 by Tom Mueller, former CTO of Propulsion at SpaceX, the company operates from headquarters in Redondo Beach, California, with a propulsion test facility in Mojave and offices in Boulder, Colorado. Impulse Space manufactures the majority of its vehicle components in-house, including valves, battery packs, reaction wheels, star trackers, and 3D-printed hardware. The company serves commercial satellite operators, civil agencies, and defense customers, and holds contracts with the U.S. Space Force for tactically responsive space demonstrations. Its Caravan rideshare program, launching in 2027, will offer annual shared access to GEO via Helios.

Products & Services

Annual GEO rideshare program via Helios, launching in 2027, offering cost-effective shared access to high-energy orbits.
Ox-rich staged combustion methalox engine producing 67 kN (15,000 lbf) of thrust, designed for multi-burn high-energy missions.
Methalox kick stage that transports multi-ton payloads from LEO to GEO, cislunar, and interplanetary trajectories in under a day using the 67 kN Deneb engine.
High-thrust maneuverable spacecraft for last-mile delivery, payload hosting, and precision orbital maneuvers in LEO through GEO, with up to 300 kg payload capacity and 5-year lifetime.
Non-toxic bipropellant thruster producing 26 N of thrust, burning nitrous oxide and ethane, with eight units per Mira vehicle.

Locations

Redondo Beach, CA
HQ
Mojave, CA
Test Site
Boulder, CO
Office

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Overview

Founded 2021
HQ Redondo Beach, California, USA
Type Private Company

Leadership

Tom Mueller
Founder & CEO
Eric Romo
President & COO
Kevin Miller
VP of Propulsion
Carl Haken
VP of Avionics
Drew Damon
VP of Spacecraft Programs
Jeff DeFazio
VP of Assembly, Integration, and Test
Paul Seebacher
VP of Manufacturing
Ryan Wiltshire
VP of Business Development
Margaret Abernathy
General Counsel and VP of Government Affairs
Jessica Fedderly
Director of Strategic Finance
John Clouse
Director of Autonomous Systems
Seth Kovnat
Director of Vehicle Engineering

Classification