Title: Rocket engine startup Impulse raises $500 million to hire people, not AI

Impulse Space, a venture launched by former SpaceX engine expert Tom Mueller to develop agile spacecraft, has secured a $500 million Series D funding round. The company intends to utilize these funds to recruit up to 200 new staff members. Spearheaded by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC, with contributions from Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Linse Capital, this investment underscores growing investor confidence in space and defense technologies. This trend coincides with increased U.S. government spending on national security initiatives and SpaceX’s preparations for its initial public offering. Impulse Space specializes in in-space mobility, having created the Mira platform, which is aimed at customers within the U.S. Space Force. Additionally, the firm is developing Helios, a transport vehicle designed to swiftly move satellites from low Earth orbit to higher altitudes.

Eric Romo, Impulse’s President and COO, told TechCrunch that the fresh capital will enable the construction and testing of additional space vehicles, highlighting the firm's recruitment strategy amid a competitive market for aerospace professionals. While the company’s software divisions are integrating AI coding assistants, Romo cautioned that deep learning models are not yet mature enough for complex, real-world engineering challenges. Romo, who was SpaceX’s 13th employee in 2003, originally handled computer simulations to evaluate engine performance. “I considered it success if I got within 20% of the right answer, because the simulations were just not that good,” Romo recalled. He noted that while simulation technology has advanced, it has not improved sufficiently to replace the traditional engineering cycle of design, analysis, construction, and testing.

Romo believes that AI applications in hardware design will lag behind other sectors because high-quality training data is scarce. He contrasted this with the abundance of text and code online used to train large language models, stating, “If you want to go, say, find the best designs for a turbo pump seal package in the world, you’re not going to find those online.” Originally focused on propulsion, Impulse Space has expanded into full spacecraft manufacturing, necessitating the addition of engineers skilled in vehicle structures and flight computers. The company recently established an office in Colorado to access a broader talent pool; today’s aerospace engineers have more geographic flexibility, with opportunities in Seattle, Denver, and Texas, rather than being confined to Los Angeles.

Looking ahead, Impulse Space is preparing for another launch of its Mira spacecraft, which completed its third flight late last year. That mission encountered a navigation system issue that caused the vehicle to burn through its propellant prematurely. Romo confirmed that the company is currently finalizing preparations for a new Mira mission, which is scheduled to launch before the year concludes.

Source: TechCrunch Generated at: 2026-06-02 12:00:00 UTC