The company said Wednesday the funding extension brings its valuation to $5.6 billion. Impulse Space, founded by Tom Mueller, SpaceX's first employee and former head of propulsion, will use the new capital to accelerate hiring and production to meet growing orders from commercial and government customers. The company also appointed Vizio executive Adam Townsend as chief financial officer. According to sources, SpaceX's $86 billion IPO in June boosted investor interest in the space sector, improving the funding environment for companies like Impulse.