A digital rendering of Impulse Space's Mira vehicle. Courtesy of Impulse Space.
Impulse Space closes $300M Series C round
RTX Ventures and Airbus Ventures are returning as investors to support the next phase of this startup's strategy for revolutionizing space transportation.
Impulse Space, a four-year-old startup focused on the transportation aspects of space, has captured $300 million in Series C capital to aid in scaling the production of its two flagship vehicles.
The company is emphasizing the use of electric propulsion systems to power Mira and Helios, the latter of which is being eyed for a first flight in 2026.
Tom Mueller, a SpaceX founding member and the architect behind its Merlin engine family, started Impulse with the goal of facilitating space transportation with nontoxic chemical propulsion in places beyond low-Earth orbit.
Linse Capital led the Series C round announced Tuesday, which brings Impulse’s total capital raised since inception to $525 million. Impulse fetched $45 million in a 2023 Series A round, then closed a $150 million Series B raise back in the fall.
RTX Ventures and Airbus Ventures are returning investors and notable names to mention, given their ties to longstanding aerospace-and-defense players.
DFJ Growth is a new investor along with returning investors such as Valor Equity Partners, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, DCVC, Spring Tide, First Principles Group, Balerion Space Ventures, Tamarack Global and Trousdale Ventures.
Impulse will also use the new capital to expand its headcount and further accelerate research-and-development efforts with a keen focus on new vehicles for NASA and national security usage.
The company touts a $200 million backlog with 30 signed contracts.