Impulse Space is betting on a future where launch is cheap

Enlarge / Impulse Space seeks to provide last-mile service for spacecraft launched into orbit. (credit: Impulse Space)

Impulse Space announced Tuesday that it has raised $20 million in seed funding, led by the venture capital firm Founders Fund. The in-space propulsion company, started by noted rocket scientist Tom Mueller, plans to use the funding to accelerate growth as it moves toward delivering its first orbital transfer vehicle.

Mueller was the first employee Elon Musk hired at SpaceX. There, Mueller led the development of the Merlin rocket engine and helped build a world-class propulsion department. In recognition of how SpaceX is changing access to space, Mueller's new company seeks to capitalize on a future where launch costs are substantially lower.

Founded last September, Impulse Space will initially seek to provide "last mile" delivery services for satellites launched as part of rideshare missions, likely including on SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. Eventually, the company plans to expand its in-space transportation services to geostationary space, the Moon, and beyond.

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