Pentagon plans $150M loan to Stoke Space for Cape Canaveral pad
The Pentagon plans a $150 million conditional loan to help Stoke Space build a second launch pad at Cape Canaveral.
The Pentagon plans to issue a $150 million loan to Stoke Space Technologies to help it expand at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Defense Department announced the plan on 26 October. The loan, managed by the Office of Strategic Capital, depends on Stoke clearing financial, legal and technical requirements.
The Pentagon said the loan, alongside private capital, would support the buildout of Stoke's second launchpad at its existing launch complex at the station. It said the commitment supports expanding U.S. launch capacity to meet rising demand for commercial and national security launch by the Space Force.
Stoke's first pad, at Space Launch Complex-14, is slated to host the debut flight of its Nova rocket in the first part of 2027, according to the company's current schedule.
The Pentagon set up the Office of Strategic Capital in 2022. It announced a plan on 8 October for a $1.5 billion loan to Wolfspeed, and on 17 October signed a conditional commitment with Antheia.
Sourceairandspaceforces.com