[HN Gopher] Stoke Space: 100% reusable rockets
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       Stoke Space: 100% reusable rockets
        
       Author : LorenDB
       Score  : 6 points
       Date   : 2024-05-18 16:03 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.stokespace.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.stokespace.com)
        
       | sam_goody wrote:
       | This is the first I am hearing of this company, but their site
       | leaves me with more questions than answers.
       | 
       | Have they figured out a new way to do the landings? Have they
       | found some new tech to get to terminal velocity? What is
       | different about their launch technique than SpaceX, RocketLab or
       | any of the others that have reusable rockets?
       | 
       | And while another $100M is cool and all that, I am not really
       | sure just how much that helps if they are really coming up with
       | something new.
       | 
       | Do any of the knowledgeable HN readers have a link to anything,
       | or alternatively - can you identify this as someone who is just
       | milking programs for money (Ias I have heard Howell is doing)
       | 
       | I am all exceited about
        
         | icegreentea2 wrote:
         | There's nothing too remarkable about the first stage.
         | 
         | Their second stage is what they're selling themselves on.
         | There's no currently operational re-usable second stage.
         | Starship is supposed to become a reusable second stage.
         | Rocketlab's Neutron (their new rocket in development) only has
         | a re-useable first stage.
         | 
         | Their second stage uses an aerospike of sorts, letting their
         | engine end also be their heat shield. This is different from
         | what Starship is doing. Their heat shield is also cooled by
         | propellant.
         | 
         | Everyday Astronaut has a writeup and video:
         | https://everydayastronaut.com/stoke-space/
         | 
         | I think a lot of their viability comes down to how well their
         | fuel cooling system works, and how broad of a range they can
         | operate in. Every bit of fuel they need to carry for "cooling
         | only" purposes (as opposed to also providing needed thrust) is
         | $$$ lost.
        
       | beefnugs wrote:
       | I don't think the laws of physics allow reusing burned fuel
        
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