Stoke Space is known for its ambitious goals in the aerospace industry. The startup, established five years ago, has attracted significant attention for its pioneering efforts to develop a fully reusable rocket capable of vertically returning both the booster and second stage to Earth.
A major milestone for Stoke was securing valuable launch pad real estate at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station by the U.S. Space Force. Revamping the historic Launch Complex 14, where John Glenn’s historic mission took place, is part of Stoke’s plan for its first launch in 2025.
Central to Stoke’s vision is the Nova rocket, a two-stage rocket designed for vertical landing and reuse of both stages. This technology puts Stoke in a league with SpaceX’s Starship, as one of the few companies working towards full reusability. Stoke believes their reusable upper stage will offer groundbreaking capabilities, such as returning cargo from orbit, global landing capabilities, and significant reductions in launch costs.
Before operations begin, the Space Force must conduct an environmental assessment of Stoke’s plans at LC-14 to evaluate potential impacts on the environment. This assessment is a mandatory process under federal law, providing insight into the company’s operational strategies.
While Stoke’s aspirations are bold, the draft environmental assessment indicates that initial launches at LC-14 will not yet feature reusable technology. The phased program approach outlined in the document first involves operating a fully expendable vehicle in Phase 1, with plans for reusable operations in Phase 2.
Initially, Stoke plans for around two launches in the first year, with a maximum of 10 launches per year thereafter. Stoke’s focus is on demonstrating payload deployment before progressing to reusable technology, following a phased approach set out in their internal roadmap.
Following a similar trajectory to SpaceX, Stoke will first validate core operations before transitioning to reusable technology. While timelines for testing reusable tech remain unspecified in the current document, Stoke has been actively conducting trials of its second stage in Washington State.
The roadmap for Stoke involves designing the entire vehicle with reusability in mind, ensuring seamless integration between stages. Once the technology is mature, Stoke plans to shift focus to full reusability after initial successful orbital deployment.
As development progresses, the Space Force will conduct a supplemental environmental analysis to evaluate the impacts of reusable operations. This analysis will address potential landing scenarios, paving the way for Stoke’s transition into the second phase of the program.
