Startup Impulse Space, founded by former SpaceX propulsion chief Tom Mueller, aims to deliver up to 6 tons of payload to the moon by 2028. Using a new lunar lander paired with its Helios high-energy kick stage, Impulse targets cargo too large for NASA’s small landers but too small for human-rated missions.

Helios will transport landers from low Earth orbit to the moon in 7 days, with the first flight scheduled for late 2026. Payloads could include rovers, habitat modules, power systems, or lunar terrain vehicles.

Impulse says the architecture could create a new lunar delivery schedule, though execution risks remain for throttleable and restartable engines in lunar conditions.