Impulse Space, the in-space mobility leader, has announced a $500 million Series D funding round co-led by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC, bringing the company’s total capital raised to over $1 billion. Additional participating investors include Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Linse Capital. The funding will support hiring and manufacturing growth as the Redondo Beach, California-based company scales its effort to build the vehicles, propulsion systems, and operational architecture that determine where and how spacecraft move after launch.
Founded by Tom Mueller — who previously helped transform access to space at SpaceX — Impulse has flown three missions and secured hundreds of millions of dollars in customer contracts across commercial, civil, and government sectors. The company’s initial fleet spans precision maneuvering, rapid long-haul transport, and rideshare access to higher-energy destinations. Mira, its precision maneuvering spacecraft, has flown multiple missions executing record-setting orbit changes and complex in-space operations including autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations. Helios, a high-energy kick stage scheduled for first flight in 2027, is designed to deliver payloads to distant orbits on dramatically shorter timelines and at lower cost than conventional approaches. Alongside its spacecraft, Impulse is developing a family of propulsion systems — Saiph for precision maneuvering, Deneb for high-energy transport, and Rigel for throttleable applications such as landers and responsive maneuvers.
The raise addresses what Impulse describes as a critical gap in the space economy: while launch has become more accessible and frequent over the past decade, spacecraft have remained constrained in their ability to move after reaching orbit. Advanced in-space mobility — the ability to move quickly, precisely, responsively, and affordably after launch — is the capability Impulse said is required to unlock a true space age spanning commercial, civil, and government missions both in and well beyond Earth’s immediate orbits. The company has more than doubled its headcount over the past year, has over 200 open roles, and operates facilities in Redondo Beach, Boulder, Washington D.C., and Mojave, California.
KEY QUOTES:
“We’re building more than spacecraft: we’re building the economic and technical engine that will power humanity’s expansion into space. From Earth orbit to the Moon and beyond, the ability to move quickly, precisely, and affordably on orbit is the fundamental capability that will unlock a true space age.”
Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO, Impulse Space
“Tom helped transform access to space at SpaceX, and now he’s tackling the industry’s next major challenge: in-space mobility. Mobility in space is strategic and will define the next phase of the space economy, and Impulse is building the infrastructure to make that possible.”
Justin Fishner-Wolfson, Managing Partner, 137 Ventures
