Impulse Space has unveiled its first electric propulsion system, designed to work in tandem with chemical rocket engines to extend the capabilities of spacecraft during long space missions.
On Tuesday, the California-based company revealed Electra, which complements traditional rocket propulsion, rather than replacing it, providing a new layer of efficiency for spaceflight aided by electric thrusters.
“As launch becomes more accessible, the next frontier is enabling spacecraft to do more once they arrive in orbit,” said Tom Mueller, founder, CEO, and chief technology officer of Impulse, in a statement.
The Future is Electric
While electric propulsion systems produce lower levels of thrust compared to chemical rockets, they also consume far less propellant during spaceflight. Because of this, they are an ideal candidate for certain tasks, such as station keeping—the process where a spacecraft’s assigned orbit is maintained over long periods of months, or even years.
Presently, as much as 50% of a conventional spacecraft’s chemical propellant can be required solely for maintaining its orbit for the duration of a mission. Assigning those duties to an electric propulsion system allows chemical fuel to be reallocated toward higher-value mission operations, which include rapid orbital transfers and time-sensitive maneuvers.
Rapid Pace for Development
Electra was developed entirely in-house and in under a year, the company said in a statement this week. Engineers required less than half that time to advance from initial design stages to completion of a functioning propulsion system.
Almost all major components, which include Electra’s thruster and supporting avionics systems, were designed, manufactured, and tested in-house.
“The best part of building Electra has been the opportunity to move fast and try new things,” said Charlie Kelly, Lead Electric Propulsion Engineer at Impulse.
“We get to turn ideas into plasma in a matter of weeks or months, not years,” Kelly added.
Advancing Future Space Propulsion
Presently, the company is rapidly developing its next-generation designs, and qualification is currently underway for Electra’s integration with Mira, Impulse’s orbital transfer vehicle.
An initial in-space demonstration is expected to take place aboard Impulse’s GEO Express 1 mission next year, as part of the Caravan 1 mission.
The Next Generation of Spacecraft
In the past, The Debrief has reported on next-generation electric propulsion concepts, which include similar technologiesthat bring together modern chemical and electrical thruster systems currently used to propel spacecraft into a singular, hybrid system.
For Impulse, the new propulsion system represents another step toward building what it characterizes as a complete in-space mobility architecture—extending beyond launch itself to support satellite servicing, orbital transfers, cargo transportation, and future operations throughout cislunar space and beyond.
With an ever-increasing level of commercial activity in Earth orbit, such technologies will help to propel spacecraft for much longer periods, enabling long-duration space missions that reduce overall costs and fuel requirements.
“Our strategy has always been to develop the mobility technologies needed to support all missions after launch,” Mueller said this week, adding that “electric propulsion is an essential component of that strategy.”
Additional details about the company’s novel propulsion designs can be found at Impulse Space’s website.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.