Same-day delivery comes to space, as Impulse promises satellite transport in hours, not months

Impulse, an in-space propulsion startup founded in 2021 by former SpaceX engineer Tom Mueller, is pioneering rapid satellite transport to geostationary orbit (GEO), approximately 22,000 miles above Earth. By leveraging its methane-oxygen kick stage called Helios, equipped with a powerful Deneb engine, Impulse aims to reduce the typical months-long transit from low Earth orbit (LEO) to GEO to under a day. This “same-day” delivery concept promises to accelerate satellite deployment and repositioning for both commercial and defense applications, addressing challenges such as radiation exposure in the Van Allen belts and communication latency. Impulse recently announced three key deals: a 2026 demonstration mission with defense contractor Anduril to develop a satellite capable of rendezvous and proximity operations critical for space domain awareness; a 2027 transportation agreement with GEO communications startup Astranis to rapidly deliver MicroGEO satellites to orbit, speeding up broadband service activation; and a multi-launch ride-share program called Caravan with