Impulse Space wins U.S. Space Force contract for orbital monitoring mission

Impulse Space has secured a contract from the U.S. Space Force to conduct a Space Domain Awareness (SDA) demonstration mission. The contract, valued at up to $31.2 million, aims to enhance the ability to track and characterize spacecraft operating in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO).

Under the agreement, Impulse Space will utilize its Mira orbital service vehicle, positioned in low Earth orbit (LEO), to host a government-furnished optical sensor payload. This sensor, developed by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, will be used to monitor distant objects and debris by observing upward toward the geostationary belt from a lower altitude.

The mission is supported by the Department of Defense’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program, which provides funding to transition mature commercial technologies into military supply chains. By using commercial orbital transfer vehicles to carry military sensing payloads, the U.S. Space Force seeks to reduce costs and accelerate the deployment of space situational awareness capabilities.