TULSA, Okla. (OBV) — A top-flight aerospace propulsion and testing solutions provider has major plans for Tulsa.
Defense and manufacturing company Agile Space Industries is developing a Tulsa Space Test Center (TSTC).
Company officials say the test center will be a state-of-the-art facility built adjacent to the Tulsa International Airport.
Agile coordinated with Tulsa Airport Improvements Trust officials in locating the TSTC site.
TSTC will provide advanced in-space rocket engine testing capabilities for NASA, commercial space companies and the U.S. Department of Defense, turning Tulsa into one of the nation’s top locations for space engine testing, according to company officials.
Chris Pearson, Agile’s CEO, said TSTC will help address the nation’s high need for advanced in-space propulsion testing infrastructure.
“There is a critical shortage of testing infrastructure for in-space propulsion systems,” Pearson said. “We are committed to building an advanced testing environment that can meet the evolving demands of national defense and commercial space missions. This investment not only addresses the limitations of existing facilities but positions Tulsa as a magnet for wider space industry growth and innovation.”
NASA operates multiple in-space propulsion testing facilities, including the Stennis Space Center, Glenn Research Center Armstrong Test Facility and the White Sands Test Facility.
“Space has become essential to the global economy, valued at over $600 billion annually and projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2040,” said Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator and Managing Partner of The Artemis Group. “From banking to national security, America’s infrastructure depends on space. The Tulsa Space Test Center, supported by Tulsa’s robust aerospace workforce and strategic infrastructure assets, will attract further investment and growth to the region, creating high-paying jobs, boosting the local economy, and establishing a Tulsa Space Park that will drive future space innovation.”
Agile, headquartered in Durango, Colo., designs, builds and tests in-space propulsion systems for satellites and spacecraft. It specializes in hypergolics, additive manufacturing, thrusters, in-space propulsion and hot fire testing.
The company opened its Animas test facility last April. It’s the only known commercial facility capable of testing engines more than 300 pounds in a vacuum-based environment to simulate space, according to Agile officials.
TSTC’s total development cost is $20 million. It is expected to be completed and running in 2027.
Agile officials say TSTC will create skilled, high-paying jobs in the Tulsa metro area and foster aerospace industry growth.
TSTC will also support STEM education by partnering with local schools, universities and aerospace companies and providing hands-on STEM experiences to give them avenues toward aerospace careers. TSTC will help educational institutions and career tech programs develop curricula, create internship opportunities and build a workforce pipeline that will support Tulsa’s future aerospace industry, according to officials.
