Impulse Space Wins Two NASA Contracts for Lunar Missions Starting in 2028

November 9, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

US-based space transportation company Impulse Space has secured two task orders under NASA’s Moon Base programme, gaining contracts to transport scientific payloads into lunar orbit and test cargo delivery to the Moon’s surface from 2028.

The awards give NASA access to the company's full spacecraft fleet, including its lunar lander, Helios kick-stage vehicle and Mira orbital manoeuvring spacecraft.

The task orders are among the first issued under NASA’s Moon Base programme, which aims to establish a permanent human presence near the Moon’s South Pole through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions.

Under the first contract, Impulse Space will serve as the prime contractor and partner with SpaceX to use its Falcon 9 rocket to launch a NASA payload. The mission also includes an option for Mira spacecraft to transport additional payloads into cislunar space, the region surrounding the Moon.

Under the second task order, Impulse will work with Relativity Space, using its Terran R launch vehicle to carry the company's Helios and lunar lander spacecraft into orbit.

Helios will function as a kick stage, providing additional propulsion to move payloads towards their intended cislunar orbits. The lander will deploy NASA payloads before conducting a descent profile designed to test larger-scale cargo delivery to the lunar surface.

The contracts were awarded under NASA’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) launch services framework, within its Commercial Access to Space Programme. They build on orbital transfer vehicle studies previously conducted by Impulse under the same contract.

Impulse Space founder and chief executive Tom Mueller said the awards marked the company's first opportunity to send spacecraft hardware to the Moon.

"After more than 30 years in rocketry, I am ecstatic to be sending hardware to the Moon for the first time," he said.

NASA's Moon Base programme is intended to develop infrastructure for astronauts to live, work and conduct research near the lunar South Pole. The agency says the initiative will support future deep-space missions and scientific research while expanding commercial participation in lunar exploration.

The two task orders position Impulse Space to provide transportation beyond the initial launch stage, moving payloads from Earth orbit towards lunar destinations and testing cargo delivery capabilities on the Moon.

Source: FSX Business News