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Stoke Space, an American space technology company, has raised a significant $1 billion in Series E funding. The funds will be used to develop the fully reusable Nova Pathfinder launch vehicle and its improved Nova Block 2 version. The company aims to launch the first Nova Pathfinder into orbit in early 2027.
The path to reusability: Nova Pathfinder and Block 2
Nova Pathfinder is Stoke Space's first orbital launch vehicle and will serve as a testbed for key technologies that will be used in the upcoming Nova Block 2 rocket. Both two-stage rockets are designed with a focus on full and rapid reusability. The first stage of Nova Pathfinder is powered by seven Zenith engines developed by Stoke Space, which operate on liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The Nova Block 2 version will have 14 of these engines.
Stoke Space’s design is based on the use of Full-cycle sequential firing (FFSC) engines, considered one of the most sophisticated types of rocket engines. This technology minimizes the formation of residues such as soot and reduces the amount of maintenance work between flights.
Second-stage innovation and market competition
The second stage of the Nova Pathfinder and Nova Block 2 rockets has a unique design. Its lower part is equipped with a heat shield made of metal and actively cooled by liquid hydrogen. Instead of one large central nozzle, the second stage has 12 smaller engines integrated in a circle around the heat shield. This allows for a significant increase in thrust and flexibility of the system.
The Nova Block 2, which will be more powerful and can launch up to 15 tons into low-Earth orbit (LEO), is positioned as a competitor to SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and Rocket Lab’s upcoming Neutron launch vehicle. SpaceX, in turn, is gradually abandoning the Falcon 9 in favor of its new Starship system. The first launch of Nova Block 2 is scheduled for 2029. The resulting investment will also be used to build the infrastructure necessary for the production, testing and operation of the rockets.
