Impulse Space orbital service vehicle Mira. Photo: Impulse Space

In-space transportation company Impulse Space, founded by SpaceX founding member Tom Mueller, raised $45 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round, the company announced Monday. RTX Ventures, the venture capital arm of RTX, led the round, along with participation from Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Airbus Ventures and Space Capital.

The company, founded in 2021, is working toward its first mission, LEO Express-1 mission, set to launch in October 2023. It is a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) refueling mission that will use its spacecraft Mira and Saiph thrusters. 

The company has a number of upcoming partnerships and missions including building the Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander for a mission to Mars with Relativity Space, a refueling mission with Orbit Fab, and a deal to provide the propulsion system for the Vast commercial space station, Haven-1. 

Impulse Space said this funding will support the development of its Helios kick stage, which is designed to enable direct to GEO missions, bypassing the need for a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) that spacecraft are often launched to. 

“With the support from RTX Ventures, Impulse Space continues on the path toward its mission to provide agile, economic logistics services in any orbit,” says Impulse Space Founder and CEO Tom Mueller. “It speaks volumes that a leading investment firm is confident in the future of Impulse Space and its trailblazing technology.”