In the aerospace industry landscape, innovation is a constant. Stoke Space, an aerospace startup founded in 2019, has recently announced a significant step forward in its plan to develop the world's first fully reusable space rocket. The additional investment just obtained (100 million dollars) almost doubles the funds available to the company. The rocket, named "Nova", is a small homage to the space tradition that unites past and future in a single name.
Small parenthesis on naming from the advertiser in me
Nova it is not only a catchy name, but it contains a profound and historical meaning. Derived from the Latin term “novus,” meaning “new,” Nova is also an astronomical term describing the temporary and sudden increase in the brightness of a star due to an explosion on the surface of a white dwarf in a binary system. This phenomenon was known to ancient observers as the appearance of a new star in the sky. Although the choice of name may seem ironic for a rocket, given that it evokes an explosion, Stoke Space wanted to honor the past and look optimistically to the future. Well done!
Clear vision, ambitious rocket
Stoke Space's mission, as mentioned, is clear: to develop a completely reusable rocket. A goal that would represent a turning point for the aerospace industry. Yes, because currently not even giants like SpaceX they managed to make a completely reusable second stage of the rocket. While the Falcon 9 first stage re-lands and can be reused, the second stage is typically discarded and not recovered for further use.
Stoke Space plans to overcome this technological barrier by equipping the second stage of its Nova rocket with a cutting-edge cooled heat shield.
Progress and prospects
Recently, Stoke Space conducted a successful vertical take-off and landing test at its Moses Lake facility. During this test (which lasted just 15 seconds) the Hopper2 rocket prototype rose to an altitude of 9 meters and then landed in the planned landing zone. It's early days, but the test has already demonstrated the unique capabilities of the company's hydrogen/oxygen engine (among other cutting-edge features).
When Nova is ready to fly, Stoke Space will use the historic Launch Complex 14 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Again, ancient and modern: the place is famous for being the launch point of NASA's Mercury-Atlas 6 mission, piloted by John Glenn in 1962. Stoke Space obtained exclusive rights for its orbital flights to this site iconic.
There will certainly be many trials and probably several bumps along the way. But it's great to see the progress of other new players in the history of space travel. Good flight!
