Kent, Wash.-based Stoke Space says it has successfully completed the first hot-fire test of the engine that will power the first stage of its reusable Nova launch vehicle.
The firing took place June 5 at Stoke’s testing site in Moses Lake, Wash., the startup said today in a news release. During the two-second test, the engine ramped up to its target starting power level, producing the equivalent of 350,000 hp in less than a second, and held that power level until shutdown. At full power, the full-flow staged combustion engine is designed to produce more than 100,000 pounds of thrust.
The rocket engine was designed and manufactured in just 18 months. The medium-lift Nova rocket’s first-stage booster will be powered by seven of the engines.
“We are incredibly proud of this achievement,” Stoke Space co-founder and CEO Andy Lapsa said. “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.”
