Former Chief of Space Operations Gen. Jay Raymond has joined the board of in-space transportation company Impulse Space.
The California-based company, founded in 2021, develops orbital transport vehicles, which transfer spacecraft into different orbits. In January, SpaceWERX — the Space Force’s innovation arm — chose Impulse to support its tactically responsive space efforts.
“With the two awards from SpaceWERX and the guidance from General Raymond, Impulse can help bring the government closer to its goal of unlocking a more responsive space profile,” chief executive Tom Mueller said in a Feb. 21 statement.
Raymond was the first chief of space operations, overseeing the creation of the Space Force and leading the organization from 2019 to 2022. He oversaw the service’s pursuit of tactically responsive space operations, which emphasizes the need to quickly respond to threats in orbit.
In a statement, Raymond highlighted Impulse’s work in this area.
“This innovative company, led by our nation’s leading propulsion experts, is focused on responsive space mobility,” Raymond said. “I look forward to working closely with the team to advance our nation’s freedom to maneuver in the domain which is so vital to our national security.”
Impulse’s contracts with SpaceWERX center on rapid refueling operations and further development of its Helios engine. The company is also pursuing commercial applications for its technology.
Since retiring from the military, Raymond has joined private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, serving as senior managing director for supply chain and strategic opportunities. He also is a board member at Axiom Space, a commercial human spaceflight company.
Courtney Albon is C4ISRNET’s space and emerging technology reporter. She has covered the U.S. military since 2012, with a focus on the Air Force and Space Force. She has reported on some of the Defense Department’s most significant acquisition, budget and policy challenges.
