Stoke Space

Stoke Space (also referred to as Stoke Space Technologies) is a launch company developing Nova, a medium-lift rocket designed to be 100% reusable in both stages. The company positions Nova as providing on-demand access to any orbit, with a stated 20x reduction in cost to orbit, and describes applications spanning satellite constellation deployment, in-space mobility, capture and reposition of assets, long-dwell operations, space cargo and logistics, and return of assets from orbit (downmass). Stoke also states that Nova will reduce atmospheric impact by 98% relative to the most frequently flown rockets today [0][1][6][7].

Technically, Stoke has developed Zenith, a full-flow staged combustion first-stage engine, which it vertically hotfired in December 2024; the company states that with Zenith it became one of only two entities globally to successfully develop and test a full-flow staged combustion engine. Its second stage uses what the company describes as the world's first actively cooled metallic reentry heat shield, integrated with the upper-stage engine to enable rapid reuse; the heat shield was demonstrated at flight heating conditions in February 2024. Stoke flew a full-scale prototype of its reusable upper stage in September 2023 and hotfired its Andromeda engine above 100% power level in April 2025. Nova's Stage 1 structure has completed proto-qualification testing [0][1][2][7].

The company operates a vertically integrated model across three sites: a 168,000-square-foot production and operations headquarters in Kent, Washington, where it prints thrust chambers and heat shield panels, assembles engines, writes flight software, and builds avionics, structures and tanks; the 75-acre private Moses Lake Test Site in Washington, roughly a three-hour drive away, with multiple engine test stands, component test bays and cryogenic testing; and Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, allocated to Stoke by the U.S. Space Force and intended to support daily launches and landings of Nova [0][1][5][6].

Founding story

Stoke was co-founded by Andy Lapsa (CEO) and Tom Feldman (CTO), who state they started the company with the end goal of 100% fully and rapidly reusable rockets [3].

Business model

Stoke develops and intends to operate its own reusable launch vehicle, selling launch and in-space transportation services rather than hardware. The company cites a manifest of contracted commercial launches alongside government awards, and is investing in production capacity, supply chain and launch infrastructure to support high-cadence operations [6]. It also references a product called Boltline as an area of investment [6].

Traction

Stoke has completed a September 2023 flight demonstration of a full-scale reusable upper-stage prototype, a February 2024 heat shield demonstration at flight heating conditions, a December 2024 vertical hotfire of the Zenith full-flow staged combustion engine, an April 2025 Andromeda engine hotfire above 100% power level, mission duty cycle testing on Stage 1 and Stage 2 flight-like engine configurations, structural qualification progress on both stages, and proto-qualification testing of the Nova Stage 1 structure. Refurbishment of Launch Complex 14 progressed toward activation scheduled for early 2026. The company reports a U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch award and a manifest of contracted commercial launches [0][2][6].

Latest developments

In July 2026 Stoke announced that technology executive Kevin Weil joined its board of directors. NASA selected Stoke for a partnership under its Space Technology Mission directorate to advance upper-stage re-entry capabilities for Nova. In February 2026 the company extended its Series D financing to $860 million, bringing total capital raised to $1.34 billion, with proceeds to accelerate future elements of its product roadmap [0][2][3][4].