Founded in 2021 by Tom Mueller, a founding member at SpaceX, Impulse Space is a leader in the development of in-space transportation services for the inner solar system.
Airbus Ventures proudly announces its investment in Impulse Space, Inc. – a leader in the development of in-space transportation services for the inner solar system – which has raised $45 million in its oversubscribed Series A funding round. The round is led by RTX Ventures, with participation from Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Airbus Ventures, Space Capital, and others.
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Pictured: Impulse’s Saiph Thruster, which will support the LEO Express-1 mission, set to launch in Fall 2023. LEO Express-1, Impulse Space’s first orbital mission, was announced earlier this year and will utilize Mira, Impulse’s first spacecraft, to perform in-space services. (Source: Impulse Space)
“Space is more accessible than ever, but efficiently moving payloads into higher energy orbits has been a challenge—until now,” explains Impulse Space Founder and CEO Tom Mueller. “At Impulse Space, our team is developing the next generation of orbital maneuvering spacecraft that can provide nimble, economical capabilities to help provide access to any orbit.”
Impulse Space will advance its work in upcoming missions, such as LEO Express-1, a GEO refueling mission and upcoming mission to Mars. This funding will support several development efforts with a focus on Helios - Impulse’s largest vehicle yet. The Helios kick stage enables direct-to Geostationary Equatorial Orbit missions, bypassing the need for a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
“Impulse Space is developing a suite of Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) that will unlock the in-space logistics ecosystem,” remarks Thomas d’Halluin, Airbus Ventures Managing Partner. “At Airbus Ventures, we are particularly excited by Impulse’s long-term, interplanetary vision to offer on-orbit servicing, inspection, and more. With over two decades of proven track record, Tom and the Impulse team are increasingly well-positioned to supply the unique technical capabilities essential for harnessing a thriving orbital environment and beyond.”
In 2026, Impulse Space will begin its journey to land on Mars. In partnership with Relativity Space, this will be the first commercial mission to the red planet.
About Impulse Space
Founded in 2021, Impulse Space is providing agile, economical space logistics services. With a near-term focus on Low Earth Orbit (LEO), services include in-space transportation to custom orbits, in-space payload hosting and space asset repositioning services including deorbiting. Long-term, Impulse will offer services for all classes of payloads to distant destinations such as Geostationary Equatorial Orbit (GEO), the Moon, and Mars. For more information, visit www.impulsespace.com.
About Airbus Ventures
Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Toulouse and Tokyo, Airbus Ventures is a fast-moving, early-stage venture capital company that independently funds and supports startups set to shift both the aerospace industry and our planetary system to a sustainable future. Airbus Ventures has helped aspiring innovators reach new dimensions of achievement since 2015.
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Contacts
For Airbus Ventures:
Orli Robin
Head of Strategy and Communication
orli@airbusventures.vc
For Impulse Space:
Valerie Christopherson and Karen Sorenson
Global Results Comms (GRC)
impulse@globalresultspr.com
+1 949 608 0276
