Sourcery: Tom Mueller’s Impulse Space Factory Tour and the Next Orbital Economy

A rocket veteran explains why the next big space breakthrough isn’t launch—it’s moving payloads around in orbit. In this condensed version of Sourcery, Molly O'Shea tours Impulse Space with founder Tom Mueller, whose career spans amateur rockets, SpaceX propulsion, and now orbital transfer systems. Cut from the original full tour to a quick listen, this summary covers the factory’s vertical integration, the “cut and try” engineering approach, and the design of Mirror and Helios, including the Deneb engine, 3D printing, COPVs, and in-house testing. You’ll also hear how Impulse is thinking about collision avoidance, electric propulsion, nuclear electric propulsion, and even data centers in orbit. If you’re interested in space exploration, rocket engine design, manufacturing, and the business model behind a solar system economy, this episode distills the key ideas in minutes. Listen now to get the key ideas in minutes.