Oct 8 (Reuters) - Stoke Space said on Wednesday it has

raised $510 million in a funding round led by entrepreneur

Thomas Tull's US Innovative Technology Fund, to speed up

development of its Nova reusable launch vehicles.

The round also drew backing from Washington Harbour

Partners and General Innovation Capital Partners, and existing

investors including 776, Breakthrough Energy, Glade Brook

Capital and Toyota Ventures.

The Washington-based startup declined to provide the

valuation at which it raised funds.

"Launch capacity is now a defining factor in the U.S.

ability to compete and lead in the space economy," said Tull,

chairman of USIT. "Stoke's pioneering approach to reusable

launch systems directly advances our national security and

commercial access to orbit."

Earlier this year, Stoke was awarded a National Security

Space Launch contract by the U.S. Space Force, joining Elon

Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Rocket Lab USA

and United Launch Alliance and others, selected to strengthen

U.S. space launch capabilities.

The award reflects the growing demand for medium-lift

launch capacity for defense, including for the proposed Golden

Dome missile defense system, the company said.

In January, the company had

raised $260 million

in a funding round.

Stoke Space is developing the fully reusable Nova rocket

for frequent, low-cost space launches, backed by funding from

the U.S. Space Force, NASA and other partners.