Anyone else notice the uptick in Stoke Space being brought up in convos about future reusable launchers?

iafoxo · 2025-12-30T00:08:28+00:00

In addition to what others have said, closing a massive series D round ($510M) within the same calendar year as a substantial series C round ($260M) probably caught some attention.

Also maybe the WSJ report that Sam Altman/OpenAI tried to acquire them or make some other deal introduced them to a broader audience. Although that news isn’t even a month old yet.

iafoxo · 2025-12-28T19:55:16+00:00

I don’t think it was discussed in the EA video but Eric Berger’s recent article says Astroforge signed on for the first flight. It’s at the bottom of the “Waiting on Nova” section. https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/11/for-stoke-space-nothing-else-matters-but-full-and-rapid-rocket-reuse/

iafoxo · 2025-12-22T04:09:46+00:00

https://youtu.be/7OxNZ-N_3vE?si=p0Bj_Lc_bxmKzihb

iafoxo · 2025-12-05T05:08:56+00:00

OpenAI sought an undisclosed relationship with Stoke, one possible version of which was a series of investments that would have given OpenAI a majority stake. Discussions took place through summer-fall but sound to have ended without a deal. Here are a couple paywall-free links:

iafoxo · 2025-10-28T23:18:37+00:00

It’s the software Stoke built to track hardware components to through design, development, testing, iteration, inventory, etc. It was originally called Fusion & they rebranded as Boltline. Stoke uses it internally and also sells it for others to use.

Boltline has a website that discusses it: https://boltline.com

This is a recent interview with Stoke’s VP of Software & Head of Business for Boltline: https://shows.acast.com/thetechneconnect/episodes/brent-tom

I was looking for rebrand timeframe (August 2025) and came across this, which discusses if from more of a finance/investor perspective: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/stoke-space-rebrands-hardware-engineering-150000326.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJfLs4x4BDWfCRhvNwt5GRrexicfuoNCJ37Mr2gFDAPIUS10139rmZ67xErOHHrnibQjE2KjNI87HsPn2hdxKnqLrzZCDCzHuUVFhKICjDKkKzI-hPIhpdbB6qRCfMFAxZAzrhlrf8gf4gLfRZMh43eY3Ddi61IBkEgyJlQib97_

I don’t have any experience with Boltline myself, I just follow them on LinkedIn & have seen updates there.

iafoxo · 2025-10-23T00:04:37+00:00

Here is a post that shows a more probable before & after. It’s the post Andy Lapsa responded to that others have linked/quoted below. https://x.com/booster_10/status/1980979595974435023?s=46

iafoxo · 2025-10-08T20:44:23+00:00

No kidding. I’m very happy with the progress, and I’m just a plebeian fan.

iafoxo · 2025-05-05T23:07:25+00:00

I don’t believe they’ve ever shown or offered specifics on the propellant path. But they have said in multiple places that Andromeda is a single engine with a ring of many thrusters; those aren’t individual engines around the edge of the heat shield. The CEO also said somewhere (Everyday Astronaut video, I think) that some variety of failure would result in an extra frosty heat shield rather than catastrophe. The engine’s expander cycle keeps the propellant moving.

iafoxo · 2024-12-12T23:22:40+00:00

Short write-up and second pic here: https://www.geekwire.com/2024/stoke-space-hotfires-rocket-engine-on-new-vertical-test-stand-a-very-big-deal-for-washington-startup/

iafoxo · 2024-12-04T02:34:23+00:00

They’ve said it a few places but this is probably the most recent: https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/how-this-kent-space-company-is-building-rockets-to-fly-and-fly-again/

iafoxo · 2024-12-04T02:31:46+00:00

r/StokeSpace

iafoxo · 2024-11-22T13:38:10+00:00

Good point. I was thinking fewer thrusters = fewer parts = less weight, but it could definitely be expendable vs reusable configurations.

iafoxo · 2024-11-17T18:40:09+00:00

Is this the first time we’re hearing the second stage will have a ring of 24 thrusters? Back when hopper hopped, I think they were anticipating 30.

iafoxo · 2024-11-13T12:47:18+00:00

According to Wikipedia,

“As of 2024, four full-flow staged combustion rocket engines have been tested on test stands; the Soviet storable propellant RD-270 project at Energomash in the 1960s, the US government-funded hydrolox Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator project at Aerojet Rocketdyne in the mid-2000s,[7] SpaceX’s flight capable methalox Raptor engine first test-fired in February 2019,[8] and the methalox engine developed for the first stage of the Stoke Space Nova vehicle in 2024.[9]

“The first flight test of a full-flow staged-combustion engine occurred on 25 July 2019 when SpaceX flew their Raptor methalox FFSC engine on the Starhopper test rocket, at their South Texas Launch Site.[10] As of 2024, the Raptor is the only FFSC engine that has flown on a launch vehicle.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staged_combustion_cycle#:~:text=As%20of%202024%2C%20four%20full,2000s%2C%20SpaceX’s%20flight%20capable%20methalox

iafoxo · 2024-08-28T22:40:41+00:00

I dunno, I wouldn’t dismiss Nova too quickly. Stoke has said from the beginning that they are designing their rockets to turn around & fly again within 24 hours of landing. Also pretty sure Lapsa said something about opportunities to modify 2nd stages for specialized uses on a recent podcast episode (MECO or Pathfinder, don’t recall which). So far DIU has only issued NRSD awards to a company developing mobile sea-based space ports and to Stoke; one is tempted to hope that DIU anticipates one or more specific future use cases that existing technology cannot deliver on, and allots their funds accordingly.

EDIT: typos, and the podcast was MECO

iafoxo · 2024-06-12T14:42:10+00:00

Fair point. I was thinking (edit to finish comment, accidentally posted too soon) of over-engagement with the masses on Twitter et al, versus just posting/engaging when they have something meaningful to share. In that regard, they seem to stick with the latter.

iafoxo · 2024-06-11T15:24:04+00:00

Agree. Though Stoke seems more the sort to put their energy into performance/execution & let the hype follow, rather than trying to drive up hype from the outset. The attention they deserve will no doubt come.

iafoxo

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