Inside The Startup Building Reusable Rockets

Stoke Space founders Andy Lapsa and Tom Feldman discuss their mission to create fully and rapidly reusable rockets, aiming to revolutionize space travel by decreasing costs and increasing reliability. They detail the design of their two-stage rocket, Nova and Andromeda, highlighting the unique heat shield technology that allows the second stage to survive re-entry. The discussion covers their early days, including testing rocket engines in a backyard shipping container, and their experience raising $990 million after participating in Y Combinator. Lapsa and Feldman emphasize the importance of in-house manufacturing and custom software, Boltline, for rapid iteration and scaling operations, with plans to launch from Cape Canaveral's historic Complex 14.