Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Stoke Space |
Country of origin | United States |
Size | |
Height | 30.5 m (100 ft) |
Diameter | 4 m (13 ft) |
Stages | 2 |
Associated rockets | |
Comparable | |
Launch history | |
Status | In development |
Launch sites | Cape Canaveral LC-14 |
Total launches | 0 |
Nova is a fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle being developed by Stoke Space.[1] Announced in October 2023,[2] Stoke Space plans to use two stages with an expected payload capacity of 5 tons (5,000 kg) to low Earth orbit (LEO), with the first stage performing a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) landing. The company plans to use 7 conventional full-flow staged combustion rocket engines, burning methalox. The second stage will use a hydrolox (liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen) engine with 30 thrust chambers ringing a regeneratively cooled heatshield,[3] eliminating the need for thermal tiles.[4][5] A center passive bleed in the second stage aims to create an aerospike engine-like effect for improved efficiency.
The vehicle was selected as part of the Space Force's Orbital Services Program.[6]