Impulse Space to Offer Rideshare Services to Geostationary Orbit with Helios Tug

Impulse Space has unveiled plans to provide rideshare services for spacecraft targeting geostationary orbit (GEO) using its advanced Helios tug. The initiative marks a significant expansion of the company's capabilities, offering a new avenue for satellite deployment to GEO and higher orbits.

The first mission under this program is slated for 2027, utilizing the Helios vehicle on a dedicated launch. The specifics of the launch provider remain undisclosed.

Helios, which was first announced by Impulse Space in January, is a high-energy kick stage powered by liquid oxygen and methane propellants. The vehicle is designed to rapidly transport satellites from low Earth orbit (LEO) to GEO and other higher orbits, with the capability to carry payloads of up to 5,000 kilograms from LEO to GEO within a single day.

“We initially targeted larger GEO satellites for Helios...But as we talked with customers, we saw that there are a lot of these half-ton to one-ton GEO satellites.” - Tom Mueller, Impulse Space Founder and Chief Executive

Recognizing the limited options available for these smaller satellites to reach GEO, Impulse Space decided to explore a rideshare approach

“We’re going to gauge the demand and see if it’s real. We think there are a lot of companies looking at this.” - Tom Mueller, Impulse Space Founder and Chief Executive

The GEO Rideshare Program will see Helios equipped with multiple ports, each capable of hosting at least 300 kilograms of payload, allowing for a diverse array of spacecraft to be transported to GEO. Exolaunch, a company with extensive experience in arranging rideshare launches, will market the payload opportunities and provide deployment systems for the program.

“Impulse’s introduction of the GEO Rideshare Program marks a transformative milestone for the satellite industry, making cost-effective and timely access to GEO a reality.” - Kier Fortier, Vice President of Global Business Development at Exolaunch

In conjunction with the Helios-powered GEO rideshare service, Impulse Space is also introducing an upgraded version of its smaller Mira vehicle. Mira made its debut in November 2023 during the SpaceX Transporter-9 rideshare mission, where it successfully deployed a cubesat and performed various maneuvers in LEO. Despite encountering some communications and software issues.

“Even with the comms issues we had, we had a really great mission,” - Tom Mueller, Impulse Space Founder and Chief Executive

The problems from that mission have been addressed, and Impulse Space is preparing for the upcoming launch of the second Mira spacecraft on SpaceX’s Transporter-12 mission scheduled for the fall.

The upgraded Mira vehicle retains its original propulsion system but includes enhancements such as radiation hardening, an improved power supply, and upgraded avionics. The vehicle is designed to support a variety of configurations for small satellites and hosted payloads, including the ability to carry up to nine 16U cubesat dispensers.

Impulse Space envisions deploying Mira from Helios on GEO rideshare missions, where it will maneuver to specific orbits, potentially supporting applications like rendezvous and proximity operations and space situational awareness. With a full 300-kilogram payload, Mira is capable of delivering up to 500 meters per second of delta V, which can increase to 1,200 meters per second with a minimal payload.

Beyond GEO missions, the upgraded Mira will also be utilized for LEO missions, with the first launch planned for late 2025. Among the anticipated customers is in-space refueling company Orbit Fab, which will use Mira to host a fuel depot in 2026, as part of a mission to refuel the U.S. Space Force’s Tetra-5 satellite in GEO.

As Impulse Space moves forward with the upgraded Mira, the company is simultaneously advancing the development of Helios. This includes preparing for tests of the powerpack that will drive Helios’s engine and working on tanks for the vehicle. Notably, Helios will incorporate avionics originally developed for Mira, demonstrating the company's focus on leveraging existing technology to enhance new capabilities.

“Last year was mostly about Mira and getting that LEO Express 1 mission up...This year is mostly about Helios.” - Tom Mueller, Impulse Space Founder and Chief Executive

Impulse Space’s announcement of its GEO Rideshare Program, supported by the Helios and Mira vehicles, represents a bold step forward in the commercial space industry, providing new opportunities for satellite deployment and expanding the company’s footprint in the rapidly growing space sector.