Impulse Space
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Tom Mueller |
| Headquarters | Redondo Beach, California , United States |
Key people | Tom Mueller (Founder and CEO), John W. Raymond (Board member) |
| Products | Orbital transfer vehicles (Mira, Helios), rocket engines (Saiph, Rigel, Deneb) |
Impulse Space is a startup established in 2021 that focuses on developing technologies and services for in-space transportation, enabling satellites to transfer from Low Earth Orbit to various other orbits.
The company was founded by Tom Mueller, who was the first employee at SpaceX and the chief engineer responsible for the development of the Merlin and Draco rocket engines that power the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft. Impulse Space benefits from his extensive aerospace engineering experience.
Orbital Transfer Vehicles
Impulse Space specializes in designing and producing orbital transfer vehicles that facilitate the movement of satellites and payloads within space.
Mira
Mira, comparable in size to a household dishwasher, weighs approximately when fully fueled. It operates using Saiph bipropellant thrusters with a specific impulse (Isp) of 290 s. Depending on the payload mass, Mira provides a delta-v ranging from 500 m/s with a 300 kg payload to 900 m/s carrying a 100 kg payload.
The inaugural flight of Mira took place in November 2023 aboard the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission, representing a key achievement in Impulse Space’s advancement of in-space propulsion technology.
Orbit Fab has engaged Impulse Space for an in-orbit refueling operation in geostationary orbit utilizing Mira, supported financially by the [[Defense Innovation Unit|Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)], underscoring the company’s pivotal role in enhancing satellite mission durations.
Helios
On January 17, 2024, Impulse introduced Helios, a powerful kick stage engineered to deliver payloads from LEO directly into geostationary orbit. Helios can carry payloads up to 4 tons when launched on Falcon 9 and up to 5 tons when paired with Relativity's Terran R rocket. The vehicle’s diameter is just under 3.5 meters, allowing it to fit within Falcon 9’s fairing. It is powered by a Deneb engine generating 67 kN of thrust and consumes up to 14,000 kg of liquid oxygen and methane propellant during operation. Its maiden flight is anticipated for 2026.
In May 2025, Impulse secured a multi-launch contract with satellite communications firm SES to utilize Helios for transporting SES satellites weighing four tons from LEO to geostationary orbit, with the first mission slated for 2027.
Mars Lander
In July 2022, Impulse revealed plans for a collaborative Mars landing mission alongside Relativity Space. Impulse is responsible for developing the lander, cruise stage, and entry capsule components, while Relativity will provide launch services via its Terran R vehicle, which remains under development. The mission aims for launch in 2026.
Rocket engines
Since its inception in 2021, Impulse Space has engineered multiple rocket engines—Saiph, Rigel, and Deneb—designed specifically for spacecraft propulsion applications.
Saiph
On May 10, 2023, Impulse announced that it had successfully qualified its Saiph thruster producing 5 lbf (22 N) of thrust. This thruster utilizes nitrous oxide and ethane as propellants and demonstrated a continuous burn duration of twelve minutes along with 50,000 ignition cycles during a seventeen-day qualification period. The Saiph thruster employs spark ignition technology.
Impulse incorporated eight Saiph thrusters into its Mira spacecraft launched in September 2023 on the SpaceX Transporter-9 mission. By November 2023, all eight thrusters had been confirmed to have operated successfully.
Vast, a commercial space station operator, selected Saiph thrusters along with associated propulsion systems for its Haven-1 mission. Vast publicly introduced Haven-1 in May 2023 and announced that SpaceX would handle both launch operations and crew transportation services.
Rigel
Rigel represents Impulse's inaugural rocket engine, specifically engineered for their Mars Lander spacecraft. This engine has been subjected to rigorous trials at the company's facilities located at the Mojave Air and Space Port.
Deneb
Deneb is a staged combustion cycle engine producing 15,000 lbf (67 kN) of thrust, fueled by liquid oxygen (LOX) and methane. It is currently under development as the primary propulsion system for Impulse's Helios vehicle, intended to consume 14,000 kg of propellant during each mission.
Investors
Among the investors backing Impulse Space are Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Airbus Ventures, Space Capital, RTX Ventures, along with venture capitalist Dovi Frances.
Board of Directors
| Year joined | Member | Professional background |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Tom Mueller | Founder and CEO of Impulse. |
| 2024 | John W. Raymond | Previously served as Chief of Space Operations for the United States Space Force (2019–2022) |
Facilities
Impulse Space maintains three locations within the United States. Its main corporate headquarters spans 60,000 square feet and is situated in Redondo Beach, California. In February 2023, the company inaugurated an additional office in Boulder, Colorado. Testing of rocket engines is conducted at the Mojave Air and Space Port.