Stoke Space is racing to build the world’s first fully reusable rockets that can launch, survive reentry, and fly again and again. In this episode of Hard Tech, YC’s Aaron Epstein sits down with Stoke Space co-founders Andy Lapsa and Tom Feldman to find out why they chose to take on one of the hardest problems in rocket science, how an obsession with efficiency gives them an edge, and what full reusability could unlock for the future of spaceflight.
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Chapters:
00:00 — Intro
01:16 — Stoke Space’s mission: Rapid reusability
02:18 — Why Second Stage capsules fail reentry
03:34 — Stoke Space’s stage 2 solution
05:30 — Reusability-First Design Philosophy
07:25 — Early Engine Development & Test Strategy
10:48 — Vertical Integration & Manufacturing
11:21 — Iteration Speed as a Competitive Advantage
12:29 — Software as Core Infrastructure
14:00 — Path to Orbit & Launch Operations
15:04 — How This Could Change The World
