Impulse Space
Company Information
Headquarters
Redondo Beach, California, USA
Year Founded
2021
Industries
Aerospace, Satellite Communications, Defense, Space Operations, Commercial Space
What Is Impulse Space?
Impulse Space is a space technology company developing systems for in-space transportation and orbital mobility. Founded in 2021 by rocket engineer Tom Mueller, the company designs and manufactures spacecraft and propulsion systems that move payloads after they reach orbit. Its primary vehicles are Mira, a maneuverable spacecraft for payload hosting, deployment, and orbital operations, and Helios, a high-energy kick stage designed to transport larger payloads from Low Earth Orbit to destinations such as GEO and beyond.
What Does Impulse Space Do?
Impulse Space develops spacecraft that provide transportation and maneuverability after a payload has been delivered to orbit. Its Mira spacecraft can host and deploy payloads, perform orbital maneuvers, support responsive space operations, and conduct rendezvous and proximity operations. Helios addresses longer-distance orbital transportation by moving large payloads from Low Earth Orbit toward higher-energy orbits such as Medium Earth Orbit, Geostationary Orbit, cislunar destinations, and other trajectories.
The company serves commercial, civil, and government customers. Its systems can support satellite deployment, hosted payloads, constellation operations, national-security missions, and other applications requiring precise movement or rapid delivery within space.
Impulse Space Technology
Impulse Space combines spacecraft engineering, chemical propulsion, guidance, navigation and control (GNC), avionics, attitude control, and autonomous orbital maneuvering. Mira uses eight Saiph thrusters powered by nitrous oxide and ethane, along with reaction wheels and cold-gas thrusters for six-degree-of-freedom attitude control. The spacecraft is designed for operations across LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar space, and beyond.
Helios uses a Deneb engine fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. The engine uses an oxygen-rich staged-combustion cycle and is designed for multiple burns, allowing Helios to transfer payloads from LEO to higher-energy orbits. Helios is designed to be compatible with multiple medium- and heavy-lift launch vehicles rather than depending on a single launcher.
Impulse also develops much of its spacecraft hardware and GNC technology internally. Its Colorado facility supports GNC development and precision machining, while its broader vertically integrated manufacturing approach covers spacecraft design, production, and testing.
Why Impulse Space Matters
Impulse Space is relevant to the emerging space economy because it focuses on the transportation layer between launch and a spacecraft’s final operating destination. Traditional missions can require satellites to perform their own orbit raising or rely on launch vehicles capable of delivering directly to higher-energy orbits. Impulse’s vehicles are designed to separate these functions by providing dedicated in-space transportation.
Mira has already flown multiple orbital missions, demonstrating responsive maneuvering, payload deployment, and hosted payload capabilities. Helios extends the company’s approach to larger payloads and higher-energy destinations, with its first flights planned from 2027. In 2026, Impulse was also selected for a U.S. Space Force NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract, making it the first upper-stage provider to become a prime in that program.
Impulse Space Products & Platforms
Mira
Mira is Impulse Space’s maneuverable spacecraft for in-space transportation and orbital operations. It supports payload hosting, deployment, last-mile delivery, responsive maneuvers, and other missions requiring precise movement in orbit. Mira can operate across LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar space, and beyond, with payload capacity of up to 300 kg.
Mira has flown multiple missions since its debut in 2023. Its missions have demonstrated high-thrust orbital maneuvers, payload deployment, collision avoidance, and hosted payload operations. The upgraded Mira design adds capabilities for higher-energy orbits, including additional power, delta-v, radiation-tolerant avionics, reaction wheels, and improved attitude-control systems.
Helios
Helios is a high-energy kick stage designed to transport large payloads from LEO to MEO, GEO, cislunar destinations, and beyond. It is designed to provide rapid orbital transportation without requiring a customer spacecraft to perform months of orbit raising using its own propulsion system.
Helios uses the Deneb liquid oxygen/liquid methane engine and can support dedicated, shared, and rideshare mission configurations. Impulse states that Helios can transport payloads from LEO to GEO in less than a day, depending on mission configuration and payload. Its first flights are scheduled to begin in 2027.
Impulse Space Applications
Impulse Space’s technology can be used for satellite deployment, orbital transportation, hosted payloads, constellation deployment, rendezvous and proximity operations, space domain awareness, Earth observation missions, and national-security space operations. Mira provides maneuverability for missions within and between Earth orbits, while Helios is designed for transporting larger payloads toward high-energy destinations.
The company’s systems also support commercial and government space missions. Its vehicles can provide an alternative transportation layer for organizations that need to reach specific orbital destinations without relying entirely on a satellite’s own propulsion system or a direct-to-destination launch vehicle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mira by Impulse Space?
Mira is a maneuverable spacecraft designed for payload hosting, deployment, orbital transportation, and responsive space operations. It can operate in LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar space, and beyond.
What is Helios by Impulse Space?
Helios is a high-energy kick stage designed to move large payloads from Low Earth Orbit to higher-energy destinations, including MEO, GEO, cislunar trajectories, and beyond.
What propulsion does Impulse Space use?
Mira uses Saiph thrusters powered by nitrous oxide and ethane, while Helios uses the Deneb engine fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane.
Has Impulse Space already flown spacecraft?
Yes. Mira’s first mission, LEO Express 1, launched in November 2023, followed by LEO Express 2 in January 2025 and LEO Express 3 in November 2025. Impulse is preparing LEO Express 4 as another Mira mission.
What is Impulse Space's role in the U.S. Space Force's NSSL program?
In July 2026, Impulse Space received an NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract through its Helios vehicle. The award provides a pathway for Impulse to compete for future national-security launch missions and made it the first upper-stage provider to serve as a prime in the program.
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