Impulse Space details plan to deliver up to 6 tons a year to the Moon

Impulse Space announced plans to deliver up to six tons of cargo annually to the Moon starting as early as 2028, targeting a niche in lunar logistics for mid-sized payloads. Their approach involves pairing a new lunar lander with a high-energy "Helios" kick stage, enabling transport of payloads ranging from 0.5 to 13 tons without the need for orbital refueling. This capacity aims to fill a gap between NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services landers, which handle smaller payloads, and the larger human-rated landers under development by SpaceX and Blue Origin. Potential cargo includes rovers, habitat modules, power generators, communication systems, and lunar terrain vehicles. The mission architecture involves launching the lander and Helios on a standard rocket into low Earth orbit, where Helios will ferry the lander to low lunar orbit within seven days. The lander then separates and descends to the lunar surface. Impulse Space is leveraging its expertise in spacecraft engine development, currently