Defense tech firm Anduril Industries and propulsion startup Impulse Space have announced a joint project to build and launch a demonstration satellite focused on rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO). The companies believe their low-cost, high-thrust solution will align with the U.S. Space Force’s growing need for maneuverable on-orbit capabilities.
“Freedom of maneuver is going to be the key enabler for every future space mission,” said Gokul Subramanian, Anduril’s SVP of Engineering. Eric Romo, Impulse’s president, echoed this, noting that Space Force has clearly expressed its demand for “affordable, high-thrust, highly maneuverable spacecraft.”
Impulse will supply its Mira spacecraft, integrated with its Deneb-powered Helios kick stage, while Anduril will provide the payload package, including a long-wave infrared (LWIR) imager, Lattice-based mission data processor, and additional sensors. This will allow tracking of faint or dark-side targets, enabling precision RPO operations.
The roughly 300-kg Mira satellite is slated for launch in late 2026 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of Impulse’s first Helios mission. The initial test will be conducted in geosynchronous orbit, but the design can be easily adapted for low Earth orbit missions.
The demonstration is expected to enhance Space Force’s space domain awareness and improve its ability to respond to emerging orbital threats.
