impulse space
In recent years, a number of small-scale “tow vessels” have been operating online to transport small satellites to designated orbits. These small spacecraft provide so-called last-mile services and are especially useful for satellites launched as part of rideshare missions and attempting to reach different altitudes and inclinations than the primary payload.
However, these space logistics vehicles, offered by various companies such as D-Orbit, Momentus, and Launcher, are generally designed for satellites with masses ranging from tens to hundreds of kilograms.
What’s missing so far are larger in-space tugs that can carry larger satellites to farther orbits. This is exactly the market that Impulse Space’s new Helios spacecraft aims to serve.
GEO in one day
At just under 5 meters in diameter, Helios fits inside the Falcon 9’s fairing. The basic idea is to allow the low-cost Falcon 9 rocket to launch large satellites directly into geostationary space, said Tom Mueller, Impulse Space’s founder and CEO.
“We’re basically adding a third stage to a medium-sized rocket,” he said. “Essentially, you can do most of what Falcon Heavy does for much less cost and without throwing away the core.”
Mueller was a founding employee of SpaceX and the lead designer of the Merlin engine that powers the company’s Falcon rocket. But he said the Helios aircraft is designed to fly on any medium or heavy-lift aircraft to increase the capabilities of a single satellite. Helios, for example, is intended to propel up to four tons launched by Falcon 9 and up to five tons launched by Relativity’s Terran R vehicle directly into geostationary orbit.
impulse space
Currently, for medium and large satellites, there are two ways to directly reach geostationary orbit. Customers can purchase launches on Falcon Heavy or United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets, but these are significantly more expensive, likely about twice the cost of launching a Falcon 9. Alternatively, the satellite could be launched on a medium-lift vehicle and enter a transition orbit into geostationary space, requiring a robust onboard propulsion system and requiring up to $5 million in xenon or other propellant to launch That’s 6-8 months of lost revenue. Climb up.
“We’re offering a one-day arrival at a much lower cost than either,” Mueller said.
From Mira to Helios
Helios will be powered by one of the most robust space engines ever built, called Deneb. It is comparable to the venerable RL-10 engine manufactured by Aerojet, and has 15,000 pounds (67 kN) of thrust and is powered by liquid oxygen and liquid methane. The fuel choice is also part of a nod to the future of reusable spaceflight that Impulse Space hopes to capitalize on. “SpaceX needs 1,000 people.” [metric] “We have tons of it to refuel the Starship,” he said. “Take a sip. We’ll take away the 14 tons and we’ll be happy to pay you. And we can continue to reuse these.”
Muller said the company is currently building components for the Deneb engine and plans to begin testing in March. The company plans to begin testing a complete build of the engine later this summer. The Helios spacecraft is scheduled to debut in his 2026 year. Helios may not be the only company servicing large satellites.blue origin announced the plan For the “Blue Ring” spacecraft platform, which can accommodate payloads of up to 3 tons.
That all sounds pretty ambitious, but Impulse has already moved quickly since its founding in 2020, flying its first spacecraft last year. The spacecraft, named Mira, showed good performance in its debut mission, her LEO Express 1. After deploying several small satellites, Impulse has been putting Mira’s propulsion system through its paces. The spacecraft will compete with other spacecraft in providing last-mile services to small satellites, but this gives Impulse confidence in its Helios program.
Muller, whose business now employs about 90 people, wants Impulse to build on SpaceX’s success. The launch company is now on track to solve the problem of low-cost access to space with its Falcon 9 rocket and, in the near future, Starship. Impulse Space aims to join other commercial space companies in leveraging its capabilities by building spacecraft that can do new, interesting, and sustainable things in space.
