LEO Express-2 Mission Updates

Last updated: January 14, 2025

Mission: LEO Express-2 | Status: Launched | Impulse Vehicle: Mira

Launcher: SpaceX | Mission: Transporter-12 | Site: Vandenberg | Launch Date: January 14, 2025

OVERVIEW

LEO Express-2 is the second mission for Impulse’s Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV), Mira. Building on the success of LEO Express-1, in which Mira achieved a series of record-breaking orbital maneuvers, Impulse Space’s LEO Express-2 mission aims to tackle even more ambitious objectives while debuting various upgrades.

Mission Objectives Include:

• Satellite Deployment: Deliver commercial CubeSats to precise orbital locations, including payloads from FOSSA Systems and RIDE!.
• Hosted Payload Operations: Long-term Non-Earth Imagery (NEI) operations at various orbits in partnership with HEO.
• Exolaunch Collaboration: Flying the first-ever EXOpod on an OTV as part of our partnership with Exolaunch, advancing satellite deployment technologies.
• High-thrust Orbital Maneuvers: Demonstrate rapid, high-thrust maneuvers using Mira's Saiph thrusters.
• Expand Mira’s Collision Avoidance Capabilities: Reinforcing Impulse’s role as a responsible and efficient operator.
• Demonstrate Enhanced Communication Systems: Mira will feature new dual-redundant S- and X-band radios, advanced software, and many new ground stations.

LEO Express-2 represents not just a mission, but a demonstration of what’s possible. With each launch, Mira proves that efficient, reliable, and adaptable in-space transportation is not just a goal — it’s a reality.

Follow along for updates, image releases, and our completion of mission milestones.

The Impulse team with Mira.

UPDATES

January 14, 2025
UPDATE 1: Successful Launch 🚀

Mira has officially launched on its second mission, LEO Express-2, aboard the Transporter-12 mission with SpaceX from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Following deployment, we have successfully received initial data from Mira, verified nominal operation of our attitude control system, and are continuing to work through commissioning steps. Go Mira!

This milestone comes after months of preparation. As of December 18, 2024, Mira cleared its Final Mission Readiness Review, completing all pre-launch checks and integration with the launch vehicle. The mission team worked tirelessly on-site at Vandenberg Space Force Base to ensure mission readiness and a seamless launch.

The Impulse team with Mira during integration.

About Impulse Space

Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers from LEO to GEO. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.