NASA selects Impulse Space to study orbital transfer vehicle services for hard-to-reach orbits

Questions and answers:

What is NASA contracting Impulse Space to do? NASA selected Impulse Space to produce two studies on orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) services under its VADR contract. The studies will assess lower-cost ways to deliver spacecraft to hard-to-reach orbits.

What are Mira and Helios? Mira is a high-thrust, maneuverable OTV for payload hosting and deployment in LEO, MEO, GEO, cislunar space and beyond. Helios is a high-energy kick stage designed to rapidly deliver large payloads to high-energy orbits such as GEO, the Moon or Earth escape.

Why is this important to NASA? These capabilities could enable more flexible, cost-effective mission profiles, allowing NASA to reach destinations beyond current launch vehicle limits and support diverse science, defense, and commercial missions.

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Impulse Space in Redondo Beach, Calif., to conduct two orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) service studies exploring lower-cost ways to deliver spacecraft to difficult-to-reach destinations in space. The studies, awarded under NASA’s VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare Launch Services) contract, will provide the agency with insight into commercial OTV capabilities for future mission planning.

Impulse will evaluate how its Mira and Helios vehicles could deploy multiple payloads to varied orbits from a single launch or enable single payloads to reach destinations beyond the range of current launch services.

Mira spacecraft

Mira is a high-thrust, highly maneuverable spacecraft for payload hosting and deployment. It has operated successfully in low Earth orbit and is capable of missions to medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, cislunar space, and beyond. The upgraded Mira design delivers a 25 percent increase in delta-v, capable of achieving 900 meters per second for a 100-kilogram payload. Improvements include upgraded Saiph thrusters increasing thrust from 5 to 6 pounds-force, expanded propellant capacity, deployable and articulating solar arrays that more than double payload power, and enhanced radiation-tolerant avionics with upgraded radios and antennas. Mira now carries four reaction wheels and four star trackers for precise pointing, and its software supports dynamic mission reconfigurations directly on orbit. Security upgrades integrate NSA Type 1 cryptography, and the redesigned single-bay form factor is compatible with Helios for maximum payload flexibility.

Helios

Helios is a high-energy kick stage capable of delivering over 5 metric tons from low Earth orbit to geostationary orbit in under 24 hours. It can reach MEO, GEO, trans-lunar injection, and Earth escape trajectories, providing 3 to 9 kilometers per second of delta-v depending on payload mass. The vehicle uses a Deneb 67-kilonewton liquid oxygen/liquid methane main engine with gimbal capability and cold-gas reaction control thrusters. Designed for compatibility with multiple rockets, including Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Vulcan, Ariane 6, New Glenn, and Starship, Helios supports payload volumes up to 6.5 feet tall and 4.5 feet in diameter, with multiple standard and custom interface options.

"Mobility is the next great unlock for space," said Tom Mueller, founder and CEO of Impulse Space. "We’re proud to support NASA’s efforts to explore how commercial in-space mobility can increase mission flexibility, reduce cost, and expand the envelope of what’s possible in orbit."