Stoke Space finishes Nova fit checks, nears pad completion

Stoke Space completed its Nova first-stage engines and conducted fit checks mating the second stage, payload module and Andromeda 2 engine in mid-August, ahead of the rocket's planned debut later in 2026. Construction of Nova's launch pad at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 14 is now essentially complete and awaiting flight hardware, as the company separately works to close a roughly $1 billion Series E.