Impulse Space Raises Another $308M Amid Major Redondo Beach Expansion

REDONDO BEACH, CA — Impulse Space raised another $308 million Wednesday as the rapidly growing spacecraft company expands into a roughly 250,000-square-foot facility in Redondo Beach and continues a major hiring push.

The Redondo Beach-based company announced the additional investment as an extension of the $500 million Series D funding round it announced in June, bringing the round's total to $808 million.

The new financing comes during a period of significant growth for Impulse, including an expansion of its physical footprint and workforce. And in Redondo Beach, that expansion is already underway.

Impulse Expands In Redondo Beach

An Impulse Space spokesperson told Patch the company is already occupying a roughly 250,000-square-foot facility at 2425 Manhattan Beach Blvd., the former Northrop Grumman property previously reported as leased by the company.

The new facility is currently being used primarily for offices and meeting rooms, along with an employee kitchen, while construction continues in phases, according to the spokesperson.

Some manufacturing work currently conducted at Impulse's existing operation at 2651 Manhattan Beach Blvd. will eventually move into the new space, the company said.

Impulse currently employs about 500 people in Redondo Beach, and the expansion is expected to be tied to as many as 200 open roles, according to the company.

“Redondo Beach is home to many of our employees and one of the world’s most important hubs for aerospace talent,” an Impulse Space spokesperson told Patch. “We’re proud to be part of the community and to continue to put down our roots here as we grow.”

Redondo Beach Community Development Director Marc Wiener separately confirmed to Patch that building permits have been issued for Impulse's expansion and tenant improvements are under construction.

“The City of Redondo Beach has a long history of being home to aerospace engineering and we are pleased that they have chosen to expand their facility here,” Wiener said.

The expansion surfaced in Redondo Beach's newly released draft Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, which identified Impulse Space among the city's largest employers and said the company had received approval for construction drawings associated with a substantial expansion of its local operations.

Impulse's response to Patch clarified the scope of that expansion. The company said the roughly 250,000 square feet refers to the new facility itself, including onsite parking, rather than the combined size of its Redondo Beach locations.

From 60,000 Square Feet To A Second Major Facility

Impulse moved its headquarters from El Segundo to Redondo Beach in 2023 as part of an earlier expansion. At the time, the company said its new headquarters encompassed 60,000 square feet and would accommodate manufacturing and office operations, including development, construction and testing of propulsion systems, avionics and composite tanks.

Impulse's website continues to list its headquarters at 2651 Manhattan Beach Blvd. in Redondo Beach. The new facility therefore represents an additional major expansion of the company's Redondo Beach presence rather than simply an enlargement of its existing headquarters.

Impulse was founded in 2021 by Tom Mueller, a founding SpaceX employee who led propulsion development for the Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets and the Dragon spacecraft. The company develops spacecraft and propulsion systems designed to move satellites and other payloads between destinations after launch.

Its two principal spacecraft platforms are Mira, which is designed for orbital transport, payload hosting and other maneuvering missions, and Helios, a high-performance vehicle designed to transport payloads from low Earth orbit to higher-energy destinations.

Series D Grows To $808 Million

Wednesday's $308 million investment comes just over three months after Impulse raised $500 million in the initial Series D round. That June investment pushed the company's total capital raised above $1 billion. Impulse said at the time the money would support hiring and manufacturing growth as it scaled production to meet increasing commercial, civil and government demand.

With Wednesday's extension, the Series D has now grown to $808 million. Reuters reported Wednesday that the latest financing values Impulse at $5.6 billion, citing a source close to the company. Reuters said the June financing had valued the company at $4.26 billion.

Impulse President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Romo told Reuters that strong investor interest continued after the June round closed, giving the company an opportunity to raise additional capital as it prepares for future customer demand.

Reuters reported that Impulse now employs more than 600 people companywide and has about 180 open positions. Impulse's own website listed 187 open positions Wednesday.

The company's growth also includes an increasing role in national security space missions. In July, Impulse announced it had been awarded a National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 1 contract by the U.S. Space Force's Space Systems Command, making Helios eligible to compete for future national security launch missions.