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An artist’s conception shows Stoke Space’s Nova rocket in flight. (Stoke Space Illustration)
The U.S. Space Force has added Kent, Wash.-based Stoke Space and California-based Rocket Lab USA to the list of providers for its $5.6 billion round of national security launches.
Each company will receive a $5 million task order to assess its specific capabilities for future launches. Stoke and Rocket Lab join Jeff Bezos’ Kent-based Blue Origin space venture as well as SpaceX and United Launch Alliance on the Pentagon’s current launch service list, known as Phase 3 Lane 1. For this “lane,” the Space Force can select from those five providers during an ordering period that runs through mid-2029, with an option for a five-year extension.
Stoke Space is offering its fully reusable Nova rocket, while Rocket Lab is offering its Neutron rocket. Both of those launch vehicles are still in development and haven’t yet flown in space. Rocket Lab is planning its first Neutron launch in late 2025. Stoke’s first Nova launch could also come as early as this year.
“Once Rocket Lab and Stoke Space complete their first successful launch, they will be eligible to compete for launch service task orders on Lane 1,” Lt. Col. Douglas Downs, materiel leader for space launch procurement at the Space Force’s Space Systems Command, said in a news release.
In a statement, Stoke Space said being selected for the national security launch program “is a testament to the company’s technical capabilities to meet the U.S. Space Force’s most stringent requirements.”
Previously: Stoke’s CEO explores innovative route to rocket reusability
