Impulse Space details plan to deliver up to 6 tons a year to the Moon | TechCrunch

"Impulse Space laid out an ambitious plan Tuesday to use its tech to haul tons of cargo to the moon as early as 2028, aiming to fill what it sees as a gap in today's market for mid-sized surface deliveries. The company says it will pair a new lunar lander with its "Helios" high-energy kick stage to move tons to the surface without needing to refuel on orbit. The aim is to deliver up to 6 tons of payload to the moon across two missions"

"Impulse says payloads that hit this mark are roughly 0.5 to 13 tons, a range that could include rovers, habitat modules, power generators, comms systems or even a lunar terrain vehicle. Under the proposed architecture, the lander and kick stage would launch on a standard rocket where they would be deployed in low Earth orbit. Helios would transport the lander to low lunar orbit within seven days, after which the two vehicles would separate, and the lander would descend to the surface."

"Impulse is bringing to the table deep expertise in spacecraft engine development; it is already at work on the lunar lander engine, which using the same fuel combination as the Saiph thrusters used on the company's small spacecraft Mira. Meanwhile, Helios is "already well into development," with the first flight scheduled for late 2026. The company estimates it will be flying Helios multiple times per year by 2028."

Impulse Space plans to pair a new lunar lander with its Helios high-energy kick stage to deliver up to six tons of payload to the lunar surface across two missions as early as 2028. That capacity targets payloads roughly 0.5 to 13 tons, including rovers, habitat modules, power generators, communications systems, or a lunar terrain vehicle. Under the proposed architecture, the lander and Helios would launch on a standard rocket, deploy in low Earth orbit, and Helios would transfer the lander to low lunar orbit within seven days before separation and descent. Impulse is developing the lander engine using the same propellant combination as its Saiph thrusters, plans Helios' first flight in late 2026, and expects multiple annual Helios flights by 2028. Execution risks include the need for a throttleable, restartable lander engine with high specific impulse for precise lunar-surface control.

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