TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa City Councilors approved a proposal to bring a rocket engine testing facility to Tulsa, which will be located at the Tulsa International Airport.

The proposal was passed unanimously, with agreement from the entire city council.

“For us to be on the very cutting edge of developing rocket engines and thrusters for space is pretty incredible and to have a project that’s going to attract other companies to come here is just a whole different level of economic development,” said Chief Economic Developer for the City of Tulsa Erran Persley.

Small Colorado firm Agile Space Industries is the company that plans to bring the rocket engine testing facility to Tulsa.

Persley stated this facility will put Tulsa at the forefront of space technology development in the United States.

“There is a whole national defense element to this project as well. China has considered space the next kind of war area for us and we are weak in that area. This project will allow our public and private sector space teams to advance their testing.”

The facility is coming to Tulsa at a perfect time due to the shortage of testing infrastructure in the United States.

“Right now, there are companies that have to send in the U.S. that go to Europe, to England, to test their rockets at this point. And even those facilities are backed up at this point.”

Agile Space Industries has stated the rockets will be tested in thermal vacuum chambers to reduce noise and assure neighbors they won’t have to worry about sound from the testing.

According to Agile, construction will cost around $20 million and will be complete in 2027.