French Company Signs GEO Rideshare Agreement with Impulse Space
Space Network Services Plans to Launch Up to Six Kaon Satellites
A GEO Rideshare agreement has been signed between French satellite manufacturer Space Network Services and Impulse Space during the World Space Business Week conference in Paris.
“Space Network Services’ Kaon satellite is a great example of the kind of model that can really benefit from GEO Rideshare."
Eric Romo, Impulse Space
Space Network Services’ GEO satellite, called Kaon, is a small and versatile telecommunication satellite designed for government and commercial customers that want to establish sovereign SATCOM systems or increase their capacity over congested areas. Space Network Services plans to launch up to six Kaon satellites at a time through Impulse’s GEO Rideshare Program, delivering savings previously unavailable through any other launch option.
“Before, if we wanted to launch four or six satellites direct to GEO at once, our only option was to buy a dedicated launch,” said Yann Le Du, co-founder of Space Network Services. “Through Impulse’s GEO Rideshare Program, we can quickly get to GEO at a fraction of the cost and have the flexibility to launch as many Kaons as we want based on our manifest. It enables us to approach the business in a completely new way.”
Impulse’s GEO Rideshare Program plans to provide reliable, rapid, and cost-effective deployment of small satellites in GEO at a regular cadence using its Helios vehicle. Operators will no longer have to spend many months orbit-raising to GEO after a GTO drop-off or purchase a dedicated launch on a low-supply heavy launcher. By avoiding a lengthy transit through GTO, satellite operators can also forgo many subsystems and services, like additional electric propulsion systems, propellant tanks, power processing units, and radiation shielding—as well as expensive operator and ground station costs incurred during the orbit transfer period—generating further savings.
“Space Network Services’ Kaon satellite is a great example of the kind of model that can really benefit from GEO Rideshare because it allows them to lower costs and achieve faster time-to-revenue, all while simplifying mission operations,” said Eric Romo, president and COO of Impulse Space. “It’s rewarding to see how they can take advantage of those benefits even at the design stage for Kaon, and we look forward to our continued work together.”
“We see this as a safe bet,” says Le Du. “Impulse has a team we trust that has an unbeatable pedigree in the domain. We’re excited for the bright future this partnership holds.”
The GEO Rideshare Program plans to begin offering launches in 2027 on a dedicated U.S. launch vehicle. The first flight of Helios is scheduled for Q2 2026.