Draft:Stoke Space FFSC Engine

Stoke's Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) Engine
Stoke Space's FFSC Engine being hotfired in Moses Lake, Washington June 2024
Country of originUnited States
ManufacturerStoke Space
StatusUnder rapid development
Liquid-fuel engine
PropellantLOX / CH4
CycleFull-flow staged combustion

Stoke Space's Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) Engine is a rocket engine currently under development by Stoke Space. It is planned to be used on the Nova reusable medium lift launch vehicle which will use 7 engines to reach orbit. The engine is a full-flow staged combustion cycle (FFSC) powered by cryogenic liquid methane and liquid oxygen ("methalox")[1] The Stoke team designed and manufactured the engine within 18 months.[2]

The engine is comparable in design and intended purpose as SpaceX's Raptor engines.[3] When flown it is anticipated to be the second full-flow engine ever flown after Raptor.[4]

Development

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In Febuary 2023, Stoke was nearing completion on the test cells for the first stage of Nova in their test facility at Moses Lake, Washington. At this time, Stoke was testing the engine at the component level and anticipating a "Breadboard Engine" test then subsequently assembling the engine into a full package.[5]

In April 2024, Stoke Space shared photos of the fully assembled engine installed in the test facility. Stoke said the engine went from checkout tests in Kent, Washington to being fully installed at the testing facility in Moses Lake within a single day.[6]

 
Stoke's FFSC Hotfire Test (June 5th 2024)

In June 2024, Stoke Space completed a hotfire test where the engine successfully ramped to it's target power, held power levels, and shutdown without major incident. During the test the engine went from rest to production the equivalent of 350,000 Hp in less than one second. The rest of 2024 was said to be focused on maturing engine and vehicle design while scaling operations for orbital launch.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Rocket". www.stokespace.com. Retrieved June 11, 2024..
  2. ^ Stoke Space (June 11, 2024). "Stoke Space Completes First Successful Hotfire Test of Full-Flow, Staged-Combustion Engine". Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Ralph, Eric (2023-02-08). "Stoke Space to build SpaceX Raptor engine's first real competitor". TESLARATI. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  4. ^ "How Stoke Space's Unique Rocket Works // Exclusive Tour & Interview" (video). YouTube. February 4, 2023.
  5. ^ "How Stoke Space's Unique Rocket Works // Exclusive Tour & Interview" (video). YouTube. February 4, 2023.
  6. ^ @stoke_space (April 5, 2024). "Stage One Engine installed in Moses Lake Test Cell" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Stoke Space (June 11, 2024). "Stoke Space Completes First Successful Hotfire Test of Full-Flow, Staged-Combustion Engine". Retrieved June 11, 2024.