Rendering of the Impulse Space Helios kick stage. Photo: Impulse Space

Impulse Space announced a $150 million Series B funding round on Tuesday to support the production of the company’s Helios and Mira vehicles. Impulse Space is led by Tom Mueller, who was a founding member of SpaceX and designed the Merlin engine. 

The company has attracted the attention of multiple investors. Founders Fund led the Series B, which also included participation from Lux Capital, Spring Tide, DCVC, Airbus Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, RTX Ventures, Tamarack Global, 137 Ventures, Elysium, First Principles Group, Island Green, Overmatch, and Trousdale Ventures.

The company raised a seed funding round in 2022, followed by a $45 million Series A last year. Impulse Space has 140 employees and plans to continue growing its team. 

The company’s roadmap is focused on improving the in-space transportation infrastructure by supporting rapid maneuverability within and between orbits. It is working toward the launch of its upgraded Mira vehicle, a last-mile orbital transfer and payload hosting vehicle, and the first launch of its Helios kick-stage to Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and beyond in 2026.  

“The satellite market is demanding enhanced maneuverability and rapid on-orbit responsiveness, which requires Impulse Space’s powerful, high delta-v vehicles,” said Scott Nolan, partner at Founders Fund. “Tom has built a team with deep expertise innovating on mission-critical technologies, positioning the company to reliably deliver while driving the future of in-space transportation.”

[Listen to Tom Mueller on the On Orbit podcast: To LEO, GEO, and Beyond: A Conversation With Tom Mueller]