The space startup Impulse Space has raised $500 million and plans to spend it primarily on people. The company wants to hire up to 200 new specialists, as it believes that artificial intelligence is not yet capable of replacing engineers when it comes to working with actual equipment.
What does the startup do?
Impulse Space was founded by Tom Mueller, one of the lead rocket engine developers at SpaceX. The company specializes in maneuvering vehicles for space operations. Its developments include the Mira platform for the U.S. Space Force and the Helios vehicle, which will deliver satellites to high orbits after they have been launched into space by other launch vehicles.
The Series D round was led by 137 Ventures and BANNER VC, joined by Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Linse Capital. The funds raised will be used to build and test new aircraft, as well as to expand the team amid intense competition for aerospace talent.
Why won’t AI help in this case?
Eric Romo, the company’s president and chief operating officer, explained why Impulse Space focuses on people rather than automation. Back in 2003, he was among the first employees hired by SpaceX and worked on computer modeling of engines. According to him, at the time, a simulation was considered successful if the results differed from reality by no more than 20%.
Today’s models are better, but not by much. Eric Romo believes that no simulation can replace the real-world development cycle, which involves designing, analyzing, assembling, and testing on a test bench. According to him, another reason is the lack of high-quality training data. While there is plenty of text and code online for training language models, the best engineering solutions—such as those for turbocharger seals—simply cannot be found on the internet.
People and Plans
The demand for aerospace engineers is higher today than ever before. In the past, most professionals in the field preferred Los Angeles, but now there are many more options, including Seattle, Denver, and Texas. That is why the company opened a new office in Colorado to be closer to potential candidates.
Late last year, the Mira spacecraft completed its third flight, which, however, was not without complications. Due to a problem with the navigation system, it used up most of its fuel prematurely. The company is currently preparing a new mission, which is expected to launch by the end of this year.
According to techcrunch.com
