NASA will use Impulse's in-space mobility capabilities to build transportation infrastructure supporting humanity's first outpost on the Moon

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Nov. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Impulse Space, the in-space mobility company, announced today it has been awarded two task orders for NASA's Moon Base program. The awards collectively provide access to Impulse's entire product fleet, including the kick-stage Helios, the highly throttleable lander for cislunar space and surface cargo deliveries, and the performance maneuvering spacecraft Mira for enhanced mission flexibility. With missions scheduled to begin in 2028, these task orders were among the first awarded to support the Moon Base program. 

NASA's Moon Base program, designed to develop humanity's first permanent lunar outpost, will build the infrastructure necessary to support an enduring human presence on the Moon. Through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions, NASA's Moon Base will host astronauts who will live, work, and explore near the Moon's South Pole. NASA's Moon Base will strengthen American leadership in space, set the stage for future deep space missions, unlock scientific discovery, and drive innovation across the industry.

These awards recognize the essential role that in-space transportation will play in enabling the Moon Base mission. The road to a permanent lunar presence begins with reliable, flexible, and cost-efficient access to deep space. 

The selections are firm-fixed-price task orders under NASA's VADR (Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare) launch services contract within the agency's Commercial Access to Space Program. The task orders build on orbital transfer vehicle (OTV) studies that Impulse previously provided under the VADR contract. For the first task order, Impulse will serve as the prime contractor, collaborating with SpaceX for their Falcon 9 rocket to launch a NASA payload, with the option for Mira vehicles to deliver alternative payloads to cislunar space.

For the second task order, Impulse will serve as the prime contractor for a launch on Relativity's Terran R launch vehicle. Relativity's Terran R is a next generation rocket designed for high cadence launch operations. On this mission, Impulse and Relativity bring complementary capabilities: Terran R will carry Impulse's vehicles to orbit, and Impulse will take NASA's payloads the rest of the way. The launch payloads will include Impulse's Helios and lander vehicles. Helios will serve as a kick stage, and the lander will deploy NASA payloads in their target cislunar orbits. After executing these missions, the lander will perform a descent profile, testing out upsized cargo delivery to the lunar surface.

Impulse's fleet of spacecraft are purpose-built for transportation in space, after launch. If launch rockets are like cargo ships, built for the high-energy journey from ground to orbit, Impulse's spacecraft represent the cargo planes, long-haul trucks, and last mile delivery vans that move payloads in space to their final destinations. This layered transportation capability supports sustained lunar operations, while also maximizing mission optionality, schedule assurance, and long‑term value for the next era of space exploration.

"After more than 30 years in rocketry, I am ecstatic to be sending hardware to the Moon for the first time," said Tom Mueller, founder and CEO of Impulse Space. "NASA's Moon Base is exactly the type of sustained in-space logistics challenge that Impulse was founded to solve, and this award is one of the most important achievements of my career."

More information on the Moon Base program and Impulse's task order awards will be released over the coming weeks. 

About Impulse Space  

Impulse Space, the in-space mobility leader, is accelerating our future beyond Earth with its fleet of cost-effective, high-performance space vehicles. Founded by Tom Mueller and led by a team of industry titans, Impulse Space is transforming in-space mobility by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go after launch. For more information, visit www.impulsespace.com.  

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SOURCE Impulse Space, Inc.