SES selects Helios kick stage from Impulse for direct-to-orbit satellite missions

SES selects Helios kick stage from Impulse for direct-to-orbit satellite missions
by Erica Marchand
Paris, France (SPX) May 26, 2025

Impulse Space and SES have entered a multi-launch agreement to utilize the Helios kick stage for direct satellite transfers from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary (GEO) and Medium Earth Orbits (MEO), significantly reducing orbital transit time to just hours.

The inaugural mission, slated for 2027, will see Helios transporting a 4-ton-class payload directly to GEO within eight hours after deployment from a medium-lift rocket in LEO. This collaboration opens the door for future missions that offer SES rapid, on-demand satellite deployment capabilities to targeted orbits.

Operators traditionally rely on either scarce and costly heavy-lift rockets or extended electric propulsion transfers that can take months. Helios offers a faster, more flexible alternative, directly inserting satellites into operational orbits and transforming mission architecture.

"At SES, we are firm believers that co-development and collaboration with our partners will help the space industry to evolve and quicken the pace of innovation," said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. "Today, we're not only partnering with Impulse to bring our satellites faster to orbit, but this will also allow us to extend their lifetime and accelerate service delivery to our customers. We're proud to become Helios' first dedicated commercial mission."

The high-performance propulsion system behind Helios gives mission designers new flexibility in determining satellite mass and orbital profile, potentially reducing costs while speeding up deployment schedules.

"We believe MEO and GEO play a critical role in the space economy, but operators today face the challenges of slow, expensive, and inflexible access to these essential orbits," said Tom Mueller, founder and CEO of Impulse Space. "Helios changes that-it's built to move large payloads to high-energy orbits quickly and reliably. SES has a long history of embracing innovation and pushing our industry forward, and we're proud they've chosen Helios to support the next phase of their deployment strategy."

The agreement represents the first commercial deal for a dedicated Helios mission, showcasing the vehicle's full payload delivery capabilities in a direct-to-GEO scenario.