Stoke Space announced that it has successfully completed the first hotfire test for its new full-flow, staged-combustion (FFSC) rocket engine. The engine will power the first stage of Nova, the company’s fully reusable medium-lift launch vehicle. Reaching this technical milestone represents a major leap forward for Stoke, as the company is on track to deliver the most robust, fully, and rapidly reusable medium-lift rocket in the world.
Stoke engineers completed the first hotfire test of the engine on June 5 at Stoke’s testing site in Moses Lake, Washington. During the test, the engine successfully ramped to its target starting power level, going from rest to producing the equivalent of 350,000 Hp in less than one second, before holding the power level and shutting down. The engine is designed to produce over 100,000 pounds of thrust at full power.
The FFSC engine has long been considered the pinnacle of rocket propulsion technology because of its unmatched efficiency and performance. The advanced rocket technology enables Stoke’s reusable vehicle to perform missions to and from a wide variety of orbital destinations while still operating with the conservative margins needed for a long service life.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Andy Lapsa, CEO, of Stoke Space. “Our team has worked tirelessly to bring this engine to life in record time. This successful test is a testament to their talent and dedication, and it puts us one big step closer to bringing the Nova launch vehicle to market. Nova has unique capabilities that give commercial, civil, and defense customers access to, through, and from space.”
Notably, Stoke’s team designed and manufactured this first stage engine in just 18 months. The achievement follows Stoke’s successful vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) developmental test flight of its reusable second stage in September 2023. Over the remainder of 2024, Stoke expects to mature its engine and vehicle design while scaling operations for orbital launch.
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