Deployment
Helios at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
High-energy kick stage designed for direct GEO insertion from LEO. 3.5 m diameter. Primary engine: Deneb (67 kN LOX/methane, ox-rich staged combustion, 380+ s Isp). Payload capacity ~4,000 kg. First flight targeted 2026 (Falcon 9, with two Mira vehicles). First commercial customer: SES (multi-launch agreement, first mission 2027).
Helios by Impulse Space · Operated by Impulse Space · Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verified · Space
Recent coverage
- Impulse Space raises $500 million to build a fleet of space tugs that move satellites where rockets cannot - Startup FortuneGoogle News · 2026-06-02
- Unlocking 'the true space age': Impulse Space raises $500 million to build out fleet of ultra-mobile spacecraft - SpaceGoogle News · 2026-06-02
- Impulse Space expands Colorado presence - SpaceNewsGoogle News · 2026-03-10
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /deployments/helios-ses-geo.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/robots/56da6d35-d859-4af1-ab73-57c9a26ba0e6
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
SES has signed a multi-launch agreement with Impulse Space for Helios transport services, with Helios positioned in geostationary orbit. The deployment involves Impulse Space's propulsion capabilities for orbital transport operations serving SES's GEO infrastructure.
Key facts
- Mission
- First dedicated commercial Helios mission (SES)
- Customer
- SES (multi-launch agreement signed 2025-05-22)
- Target
- 2027
- Profile
- 4-ton-class satellite to GEO within 8 hours of LEO launch (same-day delivery)
Safety record
No incidents on record for Helios at Geostationary Orbit (GEO).
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
- Trust tier
- Catalog entry · 2 sources · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
- Last updated
- 2026-07-22
- Model
- Helios
- Company
- Impulse Space
- Location
- Geostationary Orbit (GEO)
- Operator
- Impulse Space
- Status
- announced
- Operator type
- maker operated
- ID
56da6d35-d859-4af1-ab73-57c9a26ba0e6
Timeline
- Jun 2026created
- Jul 2026Current status: announced, reviewedLatest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.
On the deployment map
Helios operates in Geostationary Orbit (GEO). Explore the full verified map:
Sources (2)
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-22
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-22
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: pilot
Lifecycle: active
Architectural position
Cohort: space
Sources by quality tier
- 2
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Helios at Geostationary Orbit (GEO).Common questions
- What is the Helios deployment at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)?
- Helios, built by Impulse Space, is recorded as a deployment at Geostationary Orbit (GEO) on the DEPLOY registry. Impulse Space operates the deployment directly.
- Who operates Helios at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)?
- Impulse Space, the manufacturer of Helios, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
- Is the Helios deployment at Geostationary Orbit (GEO) still active?
- As of the most recent verification on the DEPLOY registry, this deployment is announced but not yet operating.
- Have there been incidents at the Helios deployment at Geostationary Orbit (GEO)?
- No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.
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