Airbus Ventures has announced its investment in Impulse Space, one of the leaders in the development of in-space transportation services for the inner solar system – which has raised $45 million in its oversubscribed Series A funding round. The round is led by RTX Ventures, with participation from Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Airbus Ventures, Space Capital, and others.

“Space is more accessible than ever, but efficiently moving payloads into higher energy orbits has been a challenge—until now,” explains Impulse Space Founder and CEO Tom Mueller. “At Impulse Space, our team is developing the next generation of orbital maneuvering spacecraft that can provide nimble, economical capabilities to help provide access to any orbit.”

Impulse Space will advance its work in upcoming missions, such as LEO Express-1, a GEO refueling mission, and an upcoming mission to Mars. This funding will support several development efforts with a focus on Helios - Impulse’s largest vehicle yet. The Helios kick stage enables direct-to-geostationary equatorial orbit missions, bypassing the need for a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.

“Impulse Space is developing a suite of Orbital Transfer Vehicles (OTVs) that will unlock the in-space logistics ecosystem,” remarks Thomas d’Halluin, Airbus Ventures Managing Partner. “At Airbus Ventures, we are particularly excited by Impulse’s long-term, interplanetary vision to offer on-orbit servicing, inspection, and more. With over two decades of proven track record, Tom and the Impulse team are increasingly well-positioned to supply the unique technical capabilities essential for harnessing a thriving orbital environment and beyond.”

In 2026, Impulse Space will begin its journey to land on Mars. In partnership with Relativity Space, this will be the first commercial mission to the red planet.

Click here to learn about Impulse Space's Commercial Mission to Mars.