Renowned Rocket Specialist Secures $150 Million Funding for Space Startup Impulse
Tom Mueller, a seasoned rocket expert and former SpaceX employee, has successfully raised $150 million in funding for his Los Angeles-based space startup, Impulse. The investment, led by venture capital firm Founders Fund, will fuel the development of Impulse’s orbital transfer vehicles, colloquially known as “space tugs.”
Mueller, who spent nearly two decades developing engines for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, founded Impulse three years ago with a vision to revolutionize in-space delivery systems. The company’s space tugs are designed to transport satellites and payloads to specific destinations in orbit, much like taxis ferry passengers to their final destinations.
The recent funding round brings Impulse’s total fundraising to $225 million, securing the company’s future and enabling it to scale production of its Mira and Helios vehicles. Mueller expressed confidence in the company’s prospects, citing the success of its first mission, LEO Express-1, which demonstrated the capabilities of its Mira vehicle.
Impulse has a robust backlog of contracts from commercial and government customers, including satellite deliveries, propulsion system development for a private space station, and demonstrations of its Helios vehicle in geosynchronous orbit for the U.S. Space Force.
The company plans to launch its next mission, LEO Express-2, later this year, followed by an updated version of its Mira vehicle in late 2025 and a demo mission with Helios by mid-2026. Impulse aims to debut its “GEO Rideshare” missions by 2027.
Mueller believes that while SpaceX has reduced the cost of launching mass to orbit, the in-space delivery systems currently available are lacking. With large reusable rockets in development by Rocket Lab, Blue Origin, Relativity, and others, Mueller sees a significant opportunity for Impulse to provide a reliable solution for customers seeking to move payloads around in space.
Headquartered in Redondo Beach, California, Impulse currently employs around 140 people and plans to expand to over 200 next year as it scales production of its space tugs. The company’s 60,000-square-foot facility enables it to design, manufacture, assemble, and test its engines, with plans to increase production capacity in the future.
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