Reimagining Space Access: How HyImpulse Is Democratizing the Way to Orbit

Reimagining Space Access: How HyImpulse Is Democratizing the Way to Orbit

At an exclusive gathering hosted by the Gütermann Family Office in Zurich’s Baur au Lac, Germany’s rocket start-up HyImpulse presented a bold vision: sovereign, sustainable, and affordable access to space.

Prof. Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg

I am standing in a conference room at Zurich’s legendary Baur au Lac, invited by the Gütermann Family Office, Angela and Thomas Gütermann.

In the audience: renowned names from industry, engineering, investment, research, and politics. On the screen beside CEO and Co-Founder Dr. Christian Schmierer, the HyImpulse logo appears – together with its promise: “Space, Within Your Reach.”

It’s an ambitious claim — one that aims to lower the usual barriers to orbit: cost, safety, and environmental impact.

1. The Starting Point

HyImpulse began as a spin-off from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) — a group of students at the Lampoldshausen site working on a new rocket propulsion concept using paraffin. Their focus: hybrid rocket engines powered by paraffin fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX).

According to its developers, paraffin offers major advantages over kerosene: it is safer to store and handle, cleaner, and just as efficient. The four rocket engineers ultimately developed a new propulsion system capable of transporting payloads into space with the same efficiency as kerosene — but more safely, sustainably, and at a fraction of the cost.

A crucial differentiator.
The hybrid engine is particularly well-suited for the microlauncher market, where precision, flexibility, and timing are essential for placing small but valuable payloads into exact orbits.

2. Products & Technology

At its core, HyImpulse’s innovation revolves around its hybrid rocket engine, integrated into two main vehicle types:

• SR75 – A single-stage suborbital sounding rocket capable of carrying up to 250 kg to an altitude of around 200–250 km. It also serves as a technology demonstrator for larger missions. Onboard: the HyPLOx 75 motor, delivering about 75 kN of thrust.
• SL1 (Small Launcher 1) – A three-stage orbital launcher designed to carry satellites of up to 600 kg into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The new design, according to company data, achieves significantly improved performance over earlier versions.

3. The Promise — and Its Tension

During the presentation, it becomes clear that HyImpulse is not merely about technology. It’s about market opportunity, environmental responsibility, and timing.

The company proposes to end the long waiting times for satellite launches. For small satellite operators, universities, and research institutions, launch windows are often months away — and prohibitively expensive. HyImpulse promises more frequent launches, lower costs, and greater flexibility.

In parallel, the environmental argument is strong. Using paraffin and LOX instead of kerosene reduces emissions, improves safety, and minimizes handling risks. Test campaigns have already validated several engine series, and the HyPLOx 75 has been successfully qualified.

4. Risks & Open Questions

Of course, every innovation carries its challenges:

• Regulation & Licensing – The planned launch site at SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland is under discussion. The first paid suborbital launches of the SR75 are expected there. But licenses, permits, and environmental regulations remain complex.
• Technical Reliability – Hybrid engines historically face issues like uneven combustion and vibration. Over the past seven years, HyImpulse has demonstrated that these challenges can be mastered.
• Cost & Competition – Numerous companies across Europe and beyond are working on cheaper access to space. Only those who can scale and deliver consistent launch cadence will survive. Yet, HyImpulse’s hybrid system gives it a cost advantage that competitors are unlikely to match.
• Timeline – The first orbital SL1 launch remains in development. Ambitions are high, but the road ahead requires further testing, financing, and robust partnerships. According to sources, the maiden flight of SL1 is not expected before 2027, with the first commercial launch of 600 kg payload scheduled for June 2027.

5. The Moment of Truth

As figures are presented — 600 kg payload, 75 kN thrust, 200 km altitude, cost per launch — I watch the faces in the room. Some skeptical, many intrigued.

HyImpulse offers no fairy tale, but data, roadmaps, and test evidence. The SR75 already achieved a successful test flight in 2024. With its dual-use capabilities, commercial suborbital missions for military (Earth observation) and research purposes are expected as early as 2025.

6. Sustainability & Significance

HyImpulse may mark a paradigm shift: spaceflight not as prestige or adventure, but as a responsible service industry. Lower emissions, safer fuels, and more frequent launches are not just market advantages — they’re a source of legitimacy and future resilience.

7. Conclusion

The vision is clear, the technology promising, and the market momentum strong. Yet, between today and a regularly operating SL1 launcher stand a few remaining hurdles: testing, licensing, scaling, competition, and — most critically — investors. Ideally, strategic investors who bring not only capital, but also networks and foresight.

I leave the room with a distinct impression:
HyImpulse is not just another space start-up. It could redefine Europe’s access to orbit — faster, cleaner, and more accessible than ever before.

Dr. Anabel Ternès von Hattburg : As a futurist, TEDx Speaker, Managing Director of the SRH Institute for Innovation and Sustainability Management, entrepreneur, bestseller author, journalist, podcaster, editor of magazines, and radio and TV host, and correspondent of MAHABAHU for the EU

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