Space Force orders two more Impulse Space vehicles for maneuvering demonstrations

Vandenberg launch watchers, take note: the Space Force's push for tactically responsive space is gaining momentum, and a startup with deep SpaceX roots is right at the center of it.

SpaceNews reported on August 12 that the U.S. Space Force has added $28 million to its existing contract with Impulse Space, bringing the total value to roughly $62.8 million. The new funds will pay for two additional missions — Victus Salo 2 and Victus Salo 3 — using Impulse's Mira spacecraft to carry government payloads in low Earth orbit.

For the 805 launch community, this matters because the Space Force's Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS) program is closely tied to Vandenberg Space Force Base's role as a premier launch site for national security missions. These are the kinds of payloads that ride polar and sun-synchronous trajectories from SLC-4E, SLC-6, and other pads along the Central Coast.

El Segundo Startup, Vandenberg Connections

Impulse Space, founded in 2021 by former SpaceX propulsion executive Tom Mueller, is based in El Segundo — practically in SpaceX's backyard. The company has already flown its Mira vehicle on three missions and is steadily deepening its ties to the Pentagon's space enterprise.

The original contract, awarded in 2024, was a $34.8 million Small Business Innovation Research Phase 3 agreement managed by Space Systems Command's Space Safari office in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit. It covered two missions: Victus Surgo and Victus Salo 1.

The Space Force also added Impulse to the National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract in July 2026, positioning the company to compete as an upper-stage provider. That means Impulse vehicles could increasingly factor into the mix of national security launches that originate from Vandenberg.

What Mira Brings to the Table

Mira is designed for what happens after deployment. While launch vehicles like SpaceX's Falcon 9 get payloads to orbit, Mira is built to maneuver once it's already up there. The spacecraft uses eight thrusters burning nitrous oxide and ethane for chemical propulsion, allowing relatively rapid orbital adjustments. It can carry payloads of up to 300 kilograms.

That capability aligns with the Space Force's evolving TacRS doctrine, which is moving beyond rapid launch — getting something into space quickly — to also testing spacecraft that can be repositioned in orbit on short notice when conditions change.

The Road Ahead

Victus Salo 1, which will carry a payload from MIT Lincoln Laboratory, is currently expected to launch in 2027. Details on timing and launch sites for Victus Salo 2 and 3 haven't been specified, but given Vandenberg's outsized role in national security space operations, Central Coast launch fans should keep these missions on the radar.

Meanwhile, Victus Surgo represents a more ambitious profile: Impulse's Helios kick stage would carry a Mira spacecraft from low Earth orbit toward geosynchronous transfer orbit, where Mira would then maneuver independently. That mission architecture showcases the kind of in-space mobility the Pentagon is increasingly interested in.

Why 805 Launch Fans Should Care

TheTacRS program has already demonstrated its connection to Vandenberg. These new Impulse Space missions represent the next phase of that relationship — one where spacecraft aren't just launched quickly but can also move purposefully once they're on orbit.

For regulars who track sonic booms, road closures, and evening contrails from Lompoc to Santa Barbara, the implication is straightforward: as the Space Force continues investing in responsive space capabilities, Vandenberg's launch cadence and mission complexity will likely keep climbing. The Mira vehicles themselves may not generate the thunder of a Falcon 9 liftoff, but they're part of an increasingly active national security launch ecosystem that calls the Central Coast home.

Impulse Space's growing footprint in that ecosystem is worth watching — and it all traces back to Mueller, whose propulsion expertise helped get SpaceX off the ground. Now his company is helping the Space Force rethink what's possible after the engines cut off.