The commitment supports the buildout of launch infrastructure at a time when the United States Space Force requires greater access to orbit for both commercial and defense missions. Space launch is a designated critical technology category that the department describes as vital to national security and economic resilience. OSC officials tied the investment directly to President Donald J. Trump’s National Space Transportation Policy, which calls for expanded U.S. launch infrastructure.
Stoke Space, a U.S.-based company developing fully reusable rockets, operates an existing launch complex at Cape Canaveral that supports its Nova Pathfinder medium-lift rocket. The new launchpad would provide the systems and facilities needed for the larger Nova Block 2 rocket, which is currently in development. The loan commitment specifies additional steps the company must complete before financial close, including satisfying financial, legal, technical, investment, and due diligence requirements.
David A. Lorch, Director of the Office of Strategic Capital and Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg, said the conditional investment aligns with the National Space Transportation Policy and enables launch providers to give commercial and defense partners reliable, high-cadence access to space. Jordan Sebold, Senior Managing Director for Investments at OSC, said the commitment would allow Stoke Space to scale its Cape Canaveral infrastructure efficiently and would enhance the overall capacity and resilience of the commercial space industrial base.
Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael praised the financing, stating that fulfilling the president’s mandate for American space superiority requires scaling commercial launch capacity for the Space Force. He said the financing would help provide the robust infrastructure needed to maintain American dominance in the cislunar domain.
According to the officials named in the announcement, the investment is intended to expand domestic launch facility capacity and ensure that commercial and defense partners have reliable, high-cadence access to orbit. OSC framed the commitment as strengthening the commercial space industrial base and supporting national security space launch requirements.
Stoke Space must complete the financial, legal, technical, investment, and due diligence requirements specified in the conditional commitment before reaching financial close on the loan. Development of the Nova Block 2 rocket, which the new launchpad is intended to support, is ongoing.
