Rocket Report: Nova tests progress; SpaceX IPO launches Friday
▼ Summary
– NASA plans to fly Blue Origin’s test lander on New Glenn for Artemis III but acknowledged Vulcan and Falcon Heavy as alternatives.
– Isar Aerospace raised 270 million euros in Series D funding and rescheduled the second Spectrum rocket launch for June 15–21.
– Isar’s first Spectrum rocket failed in March 2025, but the new funding aims to scale automated production.
– Stoke Space completed proto-qualification of the Nova rocket’s first stage, including 46 structural tests, in early June 2026.
– The Nova rocket’s debut is targeted for the end of 2026, following successful testing of fluid systems, avionics, and ground support.
Two weeks have passed since the catastrophic failure of the New Glenn rocket and the destruction of its LC-36A launch pad, yet the event continues to dominate space industry discussions. This week, NASA stated it nominally plans to use Blue Origin’s test lander on New Glenn for the Artemis III mission, but officials quietly acknowledged that other launch vehicles, including Vulcan and Falcon Heavy, could also fulfill the requirement. We will be tracking this closely.
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Isar raises funding, announces new launch date. German launch startup Isar Aerospace announced this week that it closed a 270 million euro Series D to “drive global scaling and ramp up serial production,” according to European Spaceflight. The company also stated that its previously delayed second launch attempt of the Spectrum rocket will now occur between June 15 and June 21.
Seeking to scale. Isar Aerospace is developing a two-stage rocket called Spectrum, designed to deliver payloads of up to 1,000 kilograms to low-Earth orbit. The company launched its first Spectrum rocket in March 2025, but the flight ended in failure less than a minute after liftoff. The new funding signals the company is betting on future success. “Scaling hardware is arguably one of the most difficult tasks, and one that sets companies apart,” said Isar Aerospace CEO Daniel Metzler. “This funding will enable us to scale our automated production further.” (submitted by SvenErik1968)
Nova rocket making progress. Stoke Space completed “proto-qualification” of the first stage of its Nova rocket at its testing site in Moses Lake, Washington, in early June 2026, as reported by NASASpaceflight.com. This milestone clears the way for the debut of the medium-lift Nova vehicle, targeted for the end of 2026. Stoke conducted 46 structural verification tests on its first-stage flight article, along with tests of critical fluid systems, avionics, and ground support systems over a three-week period.
(Source: Ars Technica)
