Impulse Space raised $500 million in a Series D funding round.

Impulse Space, a California startup founded by Tom Mueller, the first employee Elon Musk hired at SpaceX, has raised $500 million in a Series D funding round to expand its orbital transfer business. Impulse Space Raises Major Funding Round The Redondo Beach company said it will use the funding to scale production and deployment of its ultra-mobile spacecraft, which it says could help build the infrastructure for a broader off-Earth economy. The round was co-led by 137 Ventures and Banner VC, with participation from Founders Fund, Lux Capital and Linse Capital. Reuters reported that the financing values Impulse Space at $4.26 billion and will help the company hire up to 200 new employees. "We’re building more than spacecraft; we’re building the economic and technical engine that will power humanity’s expansion into space," Mueller, Impulse Space's founder and chief executive, said in the company's announcement. "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." Mueller Targets Post-Launch Space Mobility Reuters reported that Impulse develops orbital transfer vehicles and propulsion systems to move satellites faster once they are already in space. The company has flown three missions so far and has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in customer contracts. The company offers Mira, a maneuvering spacecraft that already operates in orbit, and Helios, a larger transfer vehicle scheduled for its first flight in 2027. SpaceX IPO Boosts Startup Interest Photo Courtesy: Kanea on Shutterstock.com

Future spacecraft could use a single propellant to perform both rapid movements and slow, highly controlled adjustments.

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