Unlocking 'the true space age': Impulse Space raises $500 million to build out fleet of ultra-mobile spacecraft

Impulse Space just got a lot more money to help finance its big ambitions in the final frontier. The California-based company — which was founded in 2021 by propulsion expert Tom Mueller , the first person Elon Musk ever hired at SpaceX — announced today (June 2) that it has raised $500 million in a "Series D" investment round. It will use the funds to scale up the production and deployment of its ultra-mobile spacecraft, which Impulse Space thinks will help transform the off-Earth economy. "We're building more than spacecraft; we're building the economic and technical engine that will power humanity's expansion into space," Mueller, who's also Impulse Space 's CEO, said in a statement today. "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." Technicians assemble one of Impulse Space's Helios kick stage vehicles. (Image credit: Impulse Space) Over the past decade or so, it has become much cheaper and more efficient to launch payloads to space, thanks to companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab . But moving around once you're in the final frontier remains a relatively difficult and costly proposition — and that's where Impulse Space hopes to come in. The company aims to provide "advanced in-space mobility," allowing payloads to be placed more precisely and cost-effectively, repurposed more efficiently and perform a wider variety of jobs. …