Impulse Space has closed a $500M Series D, bringing its total capital raised to $1B+.
The round, which was co-led by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC, will allow the in-space mobility company to grow its workforce and expand its manufacturing capabilities.
“Often in a fundraise like this, there’s some narrative of, ‘Okay, well, now we move into this new line of business, or now we go build the factory in Ohio,’” President and COO Eric Romo told Payload. “There’s none of that here. This is really about, ‘We need more of the same. We need to continue on the same trajectory we’re on.’”
More, more, more: Romo said the biggest priority for the funding is adding to its team, which just passed 500 people. Previously, the company had to limit hiring to stay in line with its budget. However, the influx of money will allow the company to “put the pedal down,” when it comes to adding new employees, Romo said.
“I wish we were 700 people yesterday,” he said. “We really have need across the board.”
The company is also continuing to build its new space in Redondo Beach, CA.
The broader landscape: As we reach the midway point of 2026, the space industry has reached a point where rounds totalling hundreds of millions of dollars have become the norm. Romo attributed the “unique” fundraising environment, in part, to the looming SpaceX IPO.
“That attention is shining a light on public space names,” he said. “A lot of that is just more eyeballs on it, and more people paying attention to the segment.”
Go beyond: Much of Impulse’s tech today focuses on maneuvering closer to Earth, and transferring to high-energy orbits like GEO. But Impulse also hopes to have a role in deep space—by adding a Helios kick stage atop a medium-launch rocket to help NASA ship the mass the agency needs for a planned base on the lunar surface.
“That’s certainly something we’re talking to the team at NASA about, pretty much every day,” Romo said.
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Bellatrix Aerospace is teaming up with Korean optical payload manufacturer TelePIX on a new VLEO demo satellite, launching NET 2028.
The satellite will combine new tech from both companies.
Expansion planning: The deal is the latest international agreement for India-based Bellatrix, which has been steadily increasing its international footprint during the past few years—and raised $20M in March for in-space propulsion tech.
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