Stoke Space Nova

Space Shuttle
Falcon 9
SpaceX Starship
Rocket Lab Neutron

Launch historyStatusIn developmentLaunch sitesCape Canaveral LC14Total launches0

[edit on Wikidata]

Nova is a fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle being developed by Stoke Space that was announced in mid 2021.^[1] It is planned to be a two-stage fully reusable launch vehicle with a planned payload capacity of 5 t (5,000 kg) into LEO. It will use seven engines consuming LNG/LOX for the first stage and a hydrolox (Liquid Hydrogen and Liquid Oxygen) engine with 30 thrust chambers arranged in a ring around a regeneratively cooled heatshield, eliminating the need for brittle thermal tiles like on the Space Shuttle. For its reusable first stage, the company is considering 7 conventional full-flow-staged combustion rocket engines, burning methalox. This configuration is very similar to SpaceX's Raptor Engine.^[2]^[3] The first stage performs an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) landing much like SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Starship's first stage, as well as Rocket Lab's planned Neutron.^[4]

In 2024, Stoke proceeded on track with engine testing for Nova.^[5]

References

^ Foust, Jeff (2021-12-15). "Stoke Space raises $65 million for reusable launch vehicle development". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
^ "Rocket". www.stokespace.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
^ Ralph, Eric (2023-02-08). "Stoke Space to build SpaceX Raptor engine's first real competitor". TESLARATI. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
^ "Rocket". Stoke Space / 100% reusable rockets / USA. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
^ Sharp, John (2024-03-07). "Stoke Space continues to test reusable second stage, looks ahead to full rocket". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 2024-04-10.