Andy Lapsa leads Stoke Space in raising $1 billion to develop reusable rockets

Andy Lapsa, the co-founder and CEO of Stoke Space, announced that the company has raised $1 billion in a Series E capital campaign. This investment brings the company's total capital to $2.3 billion as it develops its fully reusable Nova Pathfinder launch vehicle and a larger Nova Block 2 rocket. Nova Pathfinder is designed to be a small, fully reusable orbital launch vehicle. Its first stage is powered by seven Zenith engines fueled by liquid oxygen and liquefied natural gas. The upper stage features a heat shield and a ring of engines that allow for reentry. The company targets an early 2027 debut launch for Nova Pathfinder. The Nova Block 2 rocket is a more powerful system designed to deliver up to 15 tons to low Earth orbit. It features a cylindrical second stage and 14 Zenith engines on the first stage. The company plans to launch Nova Block 2 for the first time in 2029. The new funding will also support the construction of physical infrastructure, including a 475-acre expansion of the Moses Lake Test Site in Washington and a new payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Sources

• Ars Technica
  With another huge infusion of cash, Stoke Space goes even bigger
• Space
  Stoke Space raises $1 billion for fully reusable rockets, targets 'early 2027' for 1st-ever launch

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Paywall and unreadable sources

• Reuters
  Stoke Space plans more powerful rocket, raises $1 billion
• SpaceNews
  Stoke Space raises $1 billion and unveils larger launch vehicle
• GeekWire
  Stoke Space raises $1B to expand its footprint and upsize its fully reusable Nova rocket