"I decided where the business is, is in space," Mueller said in an interview with CNBC's "Manifest Space" podcast.
Mueller started Impulse Space in 2021 and is building space tugs that can move with cargo to different orbits.
So far, Impulse Space has raised $30 million in seed funding from investors such as Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and Lux Capital.
But that pedigree doesn't mean Impulse is closed off to other startups in the space space – including rocket makers.
Earlier this month Vast Space, which is building a commercial space habitat, selected Impulse to develop the Haven-1 Space Station's propulsion system.
Persons:
Elon Musk, Tom Mueller, Mueller, Peter Thiel's, Mira, Morgan Brennan, Merlin, Musk
Organizations:
SpaceX, Fund, Lux Capital, Tesla, PayPal, TRW, CNBC
Locations:
Haven