Stoke Space Raises $1B Series E to Scale Nova Rocket Program

Stoke Space Technologies, Inc. has secured an initial $1 billion in Series E financing to scale its launch infrastructure and accelerate development of its newly unveiled 15-ton-class Nova Block 2 rocket.

The funding round, announced in a September 8, 2026 press release, brings the Washington-based aerospace company’s total capital raised to $2.3 billion. The investments aims to address a sustained shortage in commercial launch availability by advancing Stoke Space’s fully reusable vehicle architecture.

Series E funding and infrastructure expansion

The Series E round was led by Point72 Ventures and Spark Capital. Additional participants included General Innovation, Glade Brook Capital, US Innovation Technology, Washington Harbour Partners, Woven Capital, and Y Combinator. The capital injection follows an $860 million Series D extension announced on February 10, 2026.

Stoke Space will direct the new funds toward the physical infrastructure required for orbital flight operations. According to company updates, Stoke Space is expanding its Moses Lake Test Site in Washington from 75 to 550 acres. Concurrently, the company is rebuilding Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to support upcoming orbital missions.

“Stoke is pursuing what we see as one of the most important opportunities in space transportation: making launch fully reusable, reliable, and scalable,” Chris Morales, Partner at Point72 Ventures, stated in the release.

Nova Pathfinder and Block 2 specifications

Alongside the funding announcement, Stoke Space publicly detailed its vehicle roadmap, which centers on two distinct launch systems designed for rapid reusability.

The Nova Pathfinder represents the company’s initial orbital vehicle. According to technical specifications reported by Payload Space, the Pathfinder features a liquid-hydrogen-cooled metallic heat shield designed to withstand 100 reuses. Stoke Space completed proto-qualification of the Pathfinder first stage in June 2026 following 46 structural tests. The vehicle is targeted for its first orbital launch in early 2027, a timeline that Payload Space notes represents a slight slip from an original late 2026 target.

The newly unveiled Nova Block 2 is a larger vehicle intended to capture a broader segment of the commercial and government launch market. The Block 2 is targeted for a first launch in 2029.

Vehicle payload capacities to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) include:

• Nova Pathfinder (reusable configuration): 3,000 kilograms
• Nova Pathfinder (expendable configuration): 7,000 kilograms
• Nova Block 2: 15 metric tons, utilizing a 5-meter payload fairing

“Every mature transportation system is built around fully reusable vehicles. It’s the only way to reach the cost floor while scaling availability. Space transportation will be no different,” Stoke Space Co-founder and CEO Andy Lapsa said in the September 8 statement.

AirPro News analysis

We view the $1 billion Series E close as a strong indicator of investor confidence in Stoke Space’s technical progress, particularly following the structural qualification of the Nova Pathfinder first stage. The commercial launch market is currently constrained by high demand and limited vehicle availability. By introducing the 15-ton Nova Block 2, Stoke Space is positioning itself to compete directly for medium-to-heavy payloads.

The company’s inclusion in the U.S. Space Force National Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 Lane 1 pool in March 2025 provides a clear path to government revenue. However, securing those national security task orders will require Stoke Space to successfully execute the early 2027 Pathfinder flight and prove the viability of its novel liquid-hydrogen-cooled heat shield in orbital reentry conditions.

Sources: Stoke Space Technologies, Inc.