Impulse Space Awarded $28M Contract for Space Force SDA Mission

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Sept. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Impulse Space, a leader in in-space mobility, has been awarded a $28 million contract by the United States Space Force (USSF) for a future space domain awareness (SDA) mission. The mission, scheduled to launch no earlier than 2029, will see a Mira spacecraft placed into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) by a government-provided launch vehicle. The spacecraft will host a government-furnished optical payload built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory to support SDA activities for objects located in geostationary orbit (GEO).

The contract includes a $19.75 million Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program award that Impulse Space received for fiscal year 2026, sponsored by the U.S. Space Command. This APFIT award supports the procurement of a Mira vehicle, which is Impulse’s highly maneuverable spacecraft, delivering up to 850 meters per second (m/s) of delta-v for a 100 kilogram (kg) payload via its powerful chemical propulsion system.

This latest contract is part of a series of government awards for Impulse Space, which also includes an NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract for the Helios upper stage and a SBIR Phase III contract extension to support the USSF Space Safari’s VICTUS SALO 2 and VICTUS SALO 3 missions.

Impulse Space, founded by Tom Mueller, is accelerating its future beyond Earth with its fleet of cost-effective, high-performance space vehicles: Helios and Mira. The Helios kick stage unlocks high-energy orbits with its powerful Deneb engine, rapidly transporting payloads from LEO to Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira enables precise maneuverability and rapid responsiveness for hosting, deployment, and rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) across any orbit.

The Mira spacecraft, with its powerful chemical propulsion system, will provide up to 850 m/s of delta-v for a 100 kg payload, offering significant maneuverability and flexibility for the mission. The APFIT program, which aims to accelerate the procurement timeline for innovative technologies, will support the development and deployment of this advanced spacecraft.

Impulse Space's track record in the commercial space sector, including multiple successful missions, positions it well to support the Space Force's SDA mission. The company's commitment to innovation and reliability is reflected in its continued success in securing government contracts, underscoring its position as a leader in in-space mobility.