Stoke Space has been allocated historic Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral

Press Release –

Future operations for Stoke Space will take place where John Glenn took his historic flight as the first American to orbit the Earth.

Kent, WA – March 7, 2023 – Stoke Space, the rocket company building the world’s most efficient fully and rapidly reusable rocket, today announced they have been allocated Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida by the Space Launch Delta 45.

“We are over the Moon excited by this opportunity,” said Julia Black, Director of Range Operations at Stoke Space. “To be trusted with the reactivation of the historic Launch Complex 14 is an honor, and we look forward to adding to its well distinguished accomplishments for America’s space program.”

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth when he launched from site 14 on the Mercury-Atlas 6 mission. He successfully circled the Earth three times in the Friendship 7 capsule, before re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean. Glenn’s historic flight occurred at a critical time during the space race when President John F. Kennedy vowed to land Americans on the Moon by the end of the decade.  

“We’re standing on the shoulders of giants,” said Andy Lapsa, Co-founder and CEO of Stoke Space. “And we’re beyond humbled by the historic significance of LC-14. The opportunity to reactivate this site is a profound responsibility that our entire team holds in the highest regard. As we bring LC-14 back to life and carry its legacy into the future, we will be sure to do so in a way that preserves its existing history and pays homage to those who came before us.”

Stoke’s fully reusable upper stage is a novel design capable of delivering cargo to and from orbit, and this announcement enables them to continue moving rapidly through their development program.