Impulse Space
Designs and operates orbital transfer vehicles that move payloads between orbits using high-thrust chemical propulsion, delivering to GEO in under a day
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.
Builds robotic spacecraft and modular payloads for in-space servicing, satellite upgrades, and space domain awareness
Manufactures solar-thermal-propelled spacecraft buses for high-delta-v, multi-orbit maneuverability and tactically responsive space operations