Space Engine Testing Facility Coming to Tulsa

Tulsa skyline, monochrome silhouette. Vector illustration.

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — 5,4,3,2,1 ignition. Tulsa city hall doubled as mission control on an initiative to make Tulsa a player in the space industry.

Agile Space Industries, based in Colorado, will be expanding to Tulsa.

“We think about how big the space industry is and how big the space industry is quickly growing,” said former Congressman and head of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, stumping for the development as the cornerstone of future space industries coming to T-town.

“And so by bringing this test facility here to Tulsa it’s ultimately going to enable us to attract lots of space companies to come to Tulsa, so it becomes a magnet,” he said.

“I truly think this is one of the biggest projects I’ve worked on,” said Tulsa’s Economic Development Director, Erran Persley, excited for what the facility could do for the area as well.

“The global space economy is a $546 billion dollar industry. This project gives us an opportunity in Tulsa to be a key part of that industry. To attract more companies to Tulsa, and create good paying jobs,” he said.

The facility will be located on E. 36th St. North, within a half a mile of 169, not far from the Amazon distribution center. And as for noise from testing rocket thrusters?

“It’s not going to be a noise issue,” said Bridenstine. And that, he says, is because the testing takes place in a vacuum, similar to space.

“What that means is it significantly reduces the noise to the point where if you’re a hundred, maybe a hundred yards away the noise is about the equivalent of me speaking to you today,” said Bridenstine.

Financing includes $20 million from the state Product Development Incentive, for which the council was voting to be a part of.

“Thank you for your part in bringing this to Tulsa and for making sure this landed in Tulsa rather than somewhere else,” said Tulsa city councilor Phil Lakin.