Exolaunch and Impulse Space Announce Strategic Partnership in Satellite Launch and In-Space Transportation Services

The Strategic Partnership Agreement brings a unique integrated product offering to the market; the companies aim to enhance global launch solutions and expand in-space transportation capabilities.

Exolaunch, the global leader in launch mission management, integration, and satellite deployment services, and Impulse Space, a leader in in-space transportation services, today announced the signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA). Unveiled at the 38th annual Small Satellite Conference, the agreement marks the beginning of a robust collaboration aimed at elevating payload delivery services for commercial, academic, and institutional customers.

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Exolaunch and Impulse Space rendering of Impulse Space's Mira OTV carrying Exolaunch's EXOpod Nova satellite deployers. (Photo: Business Wire)

The SPA defines several key areas of cooperation between Exolaunch and Impulse Space. Exolaunch will supply advanced separation systems for cubesats and microsats, such as the industry-leading EXOpod Nova and CarboNIX, as well as integration and mission management services. Impulse Space will contribute its suite of OTVs, including Mira for delivering satellites in LEO, MEO, GEO, Cislunar or beyond; Helios, their high-performance kick stage, will also service satellites targeting Geostationary Orbit. Together, using hardware and services, the companies can offer customers detailed mission design analysis and solutions for unique orbital requirements. Exolaunch and Impulse Space will jointly support a launch as early as fall 2024 with the LEO Express-2, where multiple customer satellites will be deployed throughout the mission. The companies will continue to collaborate on missions in 2025 and beyond under the terms of the agreement.

This announcement follows closely after Impulse Space's reveal of its new GEO Rideshare Program, in which Exolaunch will also support to provide customers with responsive and reliable payload delivery in space. The program will enable delivery of four tons of aggregated small satellite mass to Geostationary Orbit in under one day, as well as upgrades to their orbital transfer vehicle (OTV), Mira. Mira improvements include a payload plate redesign to support a variety of integration options, setting a new precedent in OTV performance, such as: multiple small satellite clusters, up to nine EXOpod Nova containerized deployers, and a 300 kg payload.

“Having successfully launched nearly 400 satellites across 29 rideshare missions, including a 16U to GEO in 2023, Exolaunch is the embodiment of reliability, heritage, and the perfect partner for our GEO Rideshare Program and payload delivery services,” said Impulse Space’s Director of Commercial Sales, Joshua Rea. “I love that we share a customer-first mindset, and the team is excited to work alongside Exolaunch, helping satellite operators realize the next phase of their constellations.”

“We're thrilled to work with Impulse, whose technical expertise and innovation make them an ideal partner,” added Kier Fortier, vice president of global business development and US managing director at Exolaunch. “This partnership unlocks new opportunities for our global customer base, enabling us to provide even more comprehensive and tailored solutions. The complementary strengths between Exolaunch and Impulse make this partnership a natural fit, and we eagerly look forward to this expanded product offering.”

With the SPA in effect, leveraging Exolaunch’s rich heritage of deployment services and Impulse Space’s industry-leading orbital maneuvering capabilities, the two companies are bringing additional orbital diversity and mission profiles to the satellite launch market. This partnership will not only broaden the capabilities of both organizations, but also establish new standards for mission success and customer satisfaction, aiming to deliver more efficient, reliable, and innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of their customers.

About Exolaunch

Exolaunch (Germany, USA) is a global leader in launch mission integration and deployment technologies for small satellites. With a decade of flight heritage and nearly 400 satellites launched across 29 missions to date, Exolaunch leverages industry insight to tailor turnkey solutions that meet customer needs and respond to market trends. Exolaunch fulfills launch contracts for industry leaders, the world's most innovative start-ups, research institutions, government organizations, and international space agencies. The company develops and manufactures its own flight-proven and industry-leading small satellite separation systems, with the fastest-growing heritage on the market. Exolaunch promotes safe, sustainable, and responsible use of space and is committed to making space accessible for all.

For more information, please visit www.exolaunch.com

About Impulse Space

Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers from LEO to GEO. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.

For more information, visit www.impulsespace.com

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.@Exolaunch and @GoToImpulse announce their new strategic partnership agreement at @smallsat 2024!