Building the Future of the Space Economy

Two decades ago, space startups were considered high-risk, expensive, and dependent on government contracts. Few believed a commercial space industry could thrive. But companies like SpaceX changed the game—driving down launch costs, improving reliability, and making low-Earth orbit (LEO) more accessible than ever.

Today, getting to space is no longer the challenge. The next step toward a true space age—and a thriving space economy— is moving efficiently once we’re there.

Our World Depends on Space

Space is no longer just about exploration—it powers Earth’s industries, infrastructure, and security. From global communications to precision navigation, nearly every aspect of modern life depends on a growing network of satellites in different orbits.

As reliance on space grows, so does the need for flexible, cost-effective movement between orbits. Yet, today’s in-space transportation options are slow, expensive, and inefficient.

Right now, satellites predominantly have two choices to reach Geostationary orbit (GEO) or beyond, neither of which are ideal:

1. Use onboard electric propulsion—fuel-efficient but it can take several months to reach high orbits when used alone.
2. Launch directly to their final orbit—a faster option, but rare, expensive, and often oversized heavy-lift rockets limit flexibility.

This mobility bottleneck is holding space back. More satellites than ever are being deployed, but without fast, highly maneuverable, and affordable in-space transportation, their full potential remains untapped.

Mobilizing the Space Economy

Today, the commercial, defense, and research operators in space are missing a key ingredient: a cheap, fast, customizable, and reliable way to get where they need to go.

That’s where Impulse comes in.

We’re building the fast lane for space—enabling payloads to maneuver across orbits quickly, affordably, and on demand. Whether it’s responsive national security missions or agile commercial deployment, we’re redefining how space assets get where they need to go. Our approach centers on two complementary vehicles, each designed for a different role.

Mira – The precision vehicle

Mira is a high-thrust, highly maneuverable, small space vehicle. Think of it as last-mile delivery for space—hosting and deploying payloads exactly where they need to go. Mira can perform precise orbital adjustments and operate in LEO, Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and GEO—addressing both commercial and defense needs for dynamic space operations. Our team took the first Mira vehicle from clean sheet to in-space in just 14 months. Since 2023, we’ve successfully launched two customer-based Mira missions, delivering on our promise of agile, cost-effective space mobility.

Helios – The distance vehicle

Helios is a kick stage designed to deliver large payloads to MEO, GEO, and beyond. Think of it as a (really fast) freight truck for space. Helios can transport five tons to GEO in eight hours and is compatible with both medium- and heavy-lift launch vehicles. Whereas reaching GEO has historically required either an expensive, schedule-bound, heavy-lift launch vehicle, or months of maneuvering with electric propulsion—Helios’ launch vehicle compatibility and speed to GEO solves the challenge of reaching distant orbits by an order of magnitude. 

Our first Helios flights are holding schedule for 2026, paving the way for rapid, cost-efficient, scalable in-space logistics. And, beginning in 2027, our GEO rideshare missions will introduce unprecedented customizability for commercial and defense operators seeking a faster, more affordable path to GEO. With Mira and Helios working together, Impulse is transforming how space moves—cutting costs, increasing reliability, accelerating timelines, and enabling mission customizability.

Moving at lightspeed

Since Impulse Space was founded in 2021, we’ve taken efficient, affordable, reliable in-space mobility from concept to reality—and the industry has noticed. We’ve secured a growing list of commercial and defense contracts, partnering with key organizations that share our vision for the future of space mobility.

Key Contracts & Partnerships

• Vast — Providing propulsion system for Haven-1, Vast’s private space station
• Anduril Industries — Partnering to enhance mission autonomy for space domain awareness
• SBIR Phase III contract — VICTUS SURGO and VICTUS SALO TacRS missions awarded via Space Safari and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)
• STRATFI award — Via SpaceWERX and Space Safari, accelerating Helios for GEO missions
• 2x SBIR Phase II contracts — Awarded via 2023 SpaceWERX Tactically Responsive Space Challenge
• NASA VADR contract — Supporting NASA’s commercial launch services
• NASA commercial Mars services study — Extending space mobility services to the Red Planet
• HALO program contract — Awarded by the Space Development Agency (SDA) to advance rapid small spacecraft flight demonstrations
• BALISTA contract – Secured through the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) for novel in-space mobility
• Orbit Fab — Supporting 2026 GEO refueling mission
• FOSSA Systems, RIDE!, and TrustPoint — CubeSat deployments on the LEO Express-1 and LEO Express-2 missions
• HEO — Non-Earth Imaging hosted payload on the LEO Express-2 mission
• Exolaunch — Strategic partnership in satellite launch and in-space transportation services

A team built for excellence

We’re a team of world-class propulsion and spaceflight experts who bring decades of experience in engine development, spacecraft design, and mission execution. Impulse is led by Tom Mueller, its founder and CEO, and former founding employee and CTO of Propulsion at SpaceX.

From proving Mira’s capabilities in orbit to preparing Helios for its first mission, we are not just designing spacecraft—we’re laying the groundwork for a space economy built on speed, access, and movement at scale.