On Tuesday, Impulse Space unveiled a bold strategy to use its technology to transport several tons of cargo to the lunar surface as soon as 2028, targeting what it identifies as a current gap in the market for medium-scale lunar deliveries.
According to the company, it plans to combine a newly developed lunar lander with its high-energy “Helios” kick stage, enabling the delivery of multiple tons to the moon’s surface without the need for in-orbit refueling. Their goal is to transport up to 6 tons of cargo to the moon over two missions, all while keeping costs competitive.
Impulse Space, established by Tom Mueller, the former head of propulsion at SpaceX, contends that this capability would address a “critical gap” in lunar logistics. It would serve payloads that are too large for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services landers, yet too small for the larger human-rated landers being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin.
The company notes that suitable payloads would weigh between approximately 0.5 and 13 tons, a category that could include lunar rovers, habitat units, power sources, communication equipment, or even a lunar terrain vehicle.
With this approach, both the lander and kick stage would be launched aboard a conventional rocket and placed into low Earth orbit. Helios would then carry the lander to low lunar orbit within a week, after which the two would separate and the lander would make its descent to the moon.
Impulse brings significant spacecraft propulsion expertise to the project; development of the lunar lander engine is already underway, utilizing the same propellant combination as the Saiph thrusters found on the company’s Mira spacecraft.
At the same time, Helios is “well advanced in its development,” with its inaugural flight planned for late 2026. Impulse anticipates operating Helios on multiple missions annually by 2028.
There are still challenges ahead. As the company acknowledges, a lunar lander engine must be capable of throttling, restarting, and achieving high specific impulse for precise maneuvering in space. In a press statement, Impulse appeared cautious, noting, “we are prepared to move forward as industry demand and interest dictate.” Should the company succeed, it could establish a new standard for lunar cargo delivery.
