The Nova rocket is a two-stage medium-lift launch vehicle under development by Stoke Space, designed so that both stages return to Earth and land vertically. Its second stage uses an actively cooled metal heat shield ringed with thrust chambers instead of thermal tiles, addressing the primary technical barrier to orbital upper-stage recovery. The first operational version, Nova Pathfinder, is designed to deliver 2,500 kilograms to low Earth orbit (LEO) and is targeted for its first orbital flight in the first part of 2027.
Stoke Space is a privately held aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Kent, Washington, that has raised about $2.3 billion in capital and has not yet flown an orbital mission. Development of the launcher centers on eliminating discarded stages and speeding up turnaround intervals between flights. Sibling coverage detailing the corporate history and business development of the manufacturer is available in the profile of Stoke Space.
How the Nova Rocket Is Built
The Nova rocket is a two-stage orbital launch vehicle designed for full and rapid reuse through vertical landings of both its booster and upper stage. Stoke Space developed the launcher to operate without discarding expensive flight hardware on each ascent. Its initial flight model, designated Nova Pathfinder, serves as a technology demonstrator and operational vehicle intended to carry customer payloads while proving out stage recovery systems.
The first stage of Nova Pathfinder uses seven Zenith engines built in-house by Stoke Space. These engines operate on a full-flow staged-combustion cycle, burning liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX). The booster generates more than 700,000 pounds of thrust (lbf) at liftoff with a sea-level specific impulse of 345 seconds. Stoke Space designed the first stage with structural and thermal margin to support up to 100 flights. Depending on mission profile and payload mass, the booster can execute a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) landing or touch down downrange on an autonomous drone ship.
The second stage is powered by a single Andromeda engine operating on an expander cycle that burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The Andromeda engine produces more than 25,000 lbf of vacuum thrust and delivers a specific impulse exceeding 400 seconds. Rather than mounting a standard bell nozzle at the base of the vehicle, the Andromeda propulsion system integrates a ring of small thrust chambers directly into the stage’s actively cooled metallic heat shield. For an explanation of how full-flow staged-combustion and expander cycles operate, see how rocket engines work.
| Component or Feature | Nova Pathfinder Design Target |
|---|---|
| First-stage propulsion | 7 Zenith engines |
| First-stage combustion cycle | Full-flow staged-combustion |
| First-stage propellants | Liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX) |
| First-stage liftoff thrust | 700,000+ lbf |
| First-stage specific impulse | 345 seconds |
| First-stage design reuse | Margin for 100x reuse |
| First-stage recovery profile | Return-to-launch-site or drone-ship landing |
| Second-stage propulsion | 1 Andromeda engine |
| Second-stage combustion cycle | Expander cycle |
| Second-stage propellants | Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen |
| Second-stage thrust | 25,000+ lbf |
| Second-stage specific impulse | 400+ seconds |
| Second-stage thermal shield | Actively cooled metallic heat shield |
| Payload to low Earth orbit | 2,500 kg |
| Total vehicle height | Not published by Stoke Space |
| Core vehicle diameter | Not published by Stoke Space |
| Total liftoff mass | Not published by Stoke Space |
| Expendable payload rating | Not published by Stoke Space |
| Primary launch location | Space Launch Complex 14, Cape Canaveral |
| Operational status as of October 2026 | Unflown (proto-qualification completed) |
The Engineering Behind Second-Stage Reuse
Second-stage recovery is the central engineering challenge of the Nova architecture because orbital reentry creates extreme thermal conditions that conventional rockets survive only by discarding hardware. First-stage boosters separate at lower altitudes and moderate velocities, allowing them to flip, decelerate with braking burns, and land using standard airframes. Upper stages travel at full orbital speeds of roughly 7.8 kilometers per second. Returning an upper stage through Earth’s atmosphere converts that kinetic energy into intense frictional heat.
Traditional orbital heat shields use ceramic thermal protection tiles or ablative coatings. Ceramic tiles, such as those flown on the retired Space Shuttle, are brittle, prone to cracking, and require intensive inspection after flight. Ablative shields burn away during descent and must be replaced entirely before another launch. When SpaceX evaluated upper-stage recovery for Falcon 9, the company abandoned the concept because the mass of added thermal shielding would cut payload capacity too much. SpaceX’s larger Starship vehicle relies on ceramic tiles for its upper stage and has struggled with that same upper-stage reentry problem.
Stoke Space designed Nova around an alternative method: an actively cooled metallic heat shield. The bottom of Nova’s upper stage consists of a regeneratively cooled metal structure. During reentry, super-cooled liquid hydrogen fuel circulates through channels embedded within the shield before entering the Andromeda engine thrust chambers. The cold cryogenic liquid carries heat away from the outer metallic skin, keeping the structural material within safe operating temperatures.
Because the thrust chambers are embedded along the perimeter of the heat shield, the engine and the thermal barrier share one integrated assembly. This configuration avoids ceramic tiles, eliminates between-flight tile replacements, and protects the engine nozzles from the oncoming atmospheric flow during descent. The broader principles behind this approach are detailed in how reusable rockets work.
Payload Capacity and Vehicle Dimensions
Nova Pathfinder is designed to deliver 2,500 kilograms of payload into low Earth orbit in its fully reusable flight mode. That capacity establishes Pathfinder as a medium-lift vehicle intended to deploy dedicated commercial satellites, small constellation planes, and technology testbeds. For a full breakdown of mass classifications across the launch sector, see launch vehicles explained.
Stoke Space publishes the 2,500-kilogram reusable figure on its official Pathfinder documentation, but the company has not published an expendable payload rating or maximum capacities for higher orbits such as geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Stoke Space also has not published official figures for total vehicle height, core diameter, or gross liftoff mass. Unverified third-party sources, such as Wikipedia, have estimated an overall length of 40.2 meters, a diameter of 4.2 meters, and a liftoff mass of 227,000 kilograms. Those numbers have not been confirmed by Stoke Space.
By designing for a 2,500-kilogram payload capacity, Stoke Space aimed Pathfinder at small and medium satellite operators who require dedicated orbital insertion rather than waiting for rideshare slots on larger launchers. The capacity also provides enough payload margin for the vehicle to absorb the heavy fuel reserves, landing gear, and thermal structures required to land both stages intact.
Target Launch Dates and Schedule Adjustments
Stoke Space targets the maiden orbital flight of Nova Pathfinder for the first part of 2027 from Space Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Chief Executive Andy Lapsa expects Nova Pathfinder to launch in early 2027, with the flight attempt contingent on the completion of integrated ground test-firings of both the booster and upper stage. Stoke Space plans to follow the maiden mission with multiple commercial flights across 2027 and 2028.
That operational date reflects several timeline adjustments during development. Stoke Space initially aimed to reach orbit by 2025. The company later adjusted that objective to early 2026 before settling on the 2027 window as stage integration and ground infrastructure progressed. Regarding the vehicle’s development role, Lapsa stated that “Pathfinder allows us to learn quickly, reduce risk, and prove the hardest parts of a fully reusable architecture in flight.”
Flight operations will take place from Space Launch Complex 14 (SLC-14) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The US Space Force allocated the launch site to Stoke Space in March 2023, and the facility received its official commercial launch license in October 2024. Pad construction at SLC-14 was described in September 2026 as all but finished. Launch Complex 14 holds historical significance as the launch pad for four crewed Project Mercury missions, including John Glenn’s first orbital flight for the United States in February 1962.
Ground and Flight Test Milestones
Stoke Space completed six major propulsion and structural test milestones between September 2023 and June 2026 to validate the Nova design before orbital flight. The testing campaign addressed the upper-stage active cooling system, full-flow booster engine performance, and structural tank integrity.
- September 2023: Stoke Space completed a low-altitude vertical hopper flight of the reusable second stage at its Moses Lake testing facility in Washington.
- December 2023: Ground teams completed structural proof-testing on a shortened first-stage test tank.
- February 2024: Engineers conducted upper-stage engine firings for the Andromeda propulsion system.
- June 2024: The company completed the first hot-fire test of the Zenith booster engine, demonstrating more than 100,000 lbf of thrust.
- October 2024: Civil construction and ground support equipment installation began at Space Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral.
- June 2026: Stoke Space finished proto-qualification testing of the Nova Pathfinder first-stage booster at Moses Lake, completing 46 separate structural verification tests.
Static test firings of the integrated first and second stages, along with pad fit checks at Cape Canaveral, are planned for early 2027 leading directly into the maiden orbital attempt.
Payloads on the Maiden Flight Manifest
The maiden flight of Nova Pathfinder will carry commercial and scientific payloads into orbit under an integrated manifest announced on September 22, 2026. The flight provides orbital deployment services while returning operational telemetry from the vehicle’s primary subsystems.
AstroForge contracted with Stoke Space to fly Autonomy-1, a spacecraft demonstration of its Solo autonomous spacecraft intelligence system. Following orbital insertion and stage separation, Autonomy-1 is programmed to complete its mission tasks without ground operator commands. The spacecraft will also provide autonomous support to the COMPASS heliophysics instrument package developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Celestis also contracted to fly its Infinite Flight payload on the same launch.
Stoke Space outlined two core mission objectives for Flight 1: deploying its customer payloads into low Earth orbit, and collecting integrated flight data on the vehicle’s full-reuse hardware. This includes gathering operational data on the first stage’s Zenith full-flow staged-combustion engines and the upper stage’s Andromeda engine paired with its actively cooled metallic heat shield. Stoke Space has not stated whether it will attempt recovery of either stage during the initial orbital launch attempt.
Nova Block 2 and Fleet Expansion
Nova Block 2 is a scaled launch vehicle designed to carry 15 metric tons to low Earth orbit in a fully reusable flight profile. Stoke Space publicly disclosed Block 2 on September 8, 2026, alongside an announcement of fresh investment capital. The company scheduled the first flight of Block 2 for 2029.
In its fleet scaling announcement, Stoke Space explained that customers are transitioning toward heavier spacecraft and higher launch tempos to deploy and replenish large satellite constellations. A 15-metric-ton reusable capacity allows Stoke Space to compete directly for high-volume commercial broadband constellations and national security deployment contracts.
Trade publications Payload and Parabolic Arc reported specific engineering targets for Block 2 based on company briefings:
- Booster propulsion: The first stage will feature 14 Zenith engines, doubling the seven engines used on Pathfinder.
- Fairing dimensions: The vehicle will incorporate a 5-meter-diameter payload fairing.
- Upper-stage configuration: The upper stage will use an upgraded Andromeda Block 2 engine suite featuring 12 independent thrust chambers rather than the shared turbopump system used on Pathfinder.
- Geostationary capacity: The vehicle is designed to deliver 4 metric tons of payload to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).
With a design capacity of 15 metric tons to LEO, Block 2 positions Stoke Space between Rocket Lab’s Neutron and Relativity Space’s planned Terran R.
How Nova Compares to Falcon 9, Neutron, and Electron
Nova differs from existing and developing commercial rockets by attempting complete recovery of both stages rather than discarding its second stage. The commercial market today relies primarily on expendable upper stages, which must be built anew for every flight regardless of whether the booster is recovered.
| Vehicle | Manufacturer | Reusable Payload to LEO | Reuse Architecture | Booster Propellant | Flight Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Pathfinder | Stoke Space | 2,500 kg (design target) | Fully reusable (both stages land vertically) | Liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen | Unflown (first flight targeted for early 2027) |
| Nova Block 2 | Stoke Space | 15,000 kg (design target) | Fully reusable (both stages land vertically) | Liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen | In development (first flight targeted for 2029) |
| Falcon 9 | SpaceX | 17,500 kg (drone-ship recovery) | Partially reusable (booster and fairings recovered) | RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen | Operational (689 full successes, 1 partial failure) |
| Neutron | Rocket Lab | 13,000 kg (design target) | Partially reusable (booster lands, fairing hinges) | Liquefied natural gas and liquid oxygen | In development (first flight targeted for late 2026) |
| Electron | Rocket Lab | Up to 300 kg (expendable) | Expendable | RP-1 kerosene and liquid oxygen | Operational |
Falcon 9 is the established operational benchmark for commercial launch reusability. As of October 2, 2026, Falcon 9 has completed 689 successful missions across 692 total launches, with one partial failure, two in-flight failures, and 598 successful booster landings. Falcon 9 delivers 17,500 kilograms to LEO when recovering its first-stage booster on a drone ship, and has an expendable rating of 22,800 kilograms. Falcon 9 recovers its booster and fairing halves, but discards its second stage on every flight. SpaceX has announced no scheduled retirement date for Falcon 9.
Rocket Lab’s Neutron is a medium-lift vehicle targeted for its maiden launch in late 2026, pending qualification testing. Neutron is designed to lift 13,000 kilograms to LEO in a reusable configuration and 15,000 kilograms expendable. Its first stage uses nine Archimedes engines burning LNG and LOX, and lands on a floating ocean platform. Neutron uses a captive fairing design that remains attached to the first stage, recovering the fairing structure with the booster while discarding an expendable second stage. Rocket Lab’s operational Electron rocket serves the light-lift segment, carrying up to 300 kilograms to LEO in a fully expendable mode.
Nova Pathfinder’s 2,500-kilogram reusable payload capacity sits between Electron and larger medium-lift vehicles like Neutron and Falcon 9. The larger Nova Block 2 matches Neutron’s class at 15 metric tons. Nova’s market case depends entirely on whether Stoke Space can demonstrate functional second-stage reuse. If the actively cooled metallic heat shield survives orbital reentry and allows fast turnaround without structural rework, Stoke Space could reduce marginal launch costs. If upper-stage thermal loads require extensive maintenance, the vehicle will face the same payload penalties that prompted other manufacturers to keep their second stages expendable.
For mission planners comparing launch providers across the commercial sector, reviewing upcoming flight test data for the Nova rocket provides the clearest benchmark for whether two-stage rapid reuse can match the economics of existing partial-reuse systems.