New Space Test Center in Tulsa Under Construction
Will Provide Testing Services for Small to Medium-Class Rocket Engines
Construction is underway on the initial $20 million phase of the Space Test Center (STC) in Tulsa OK. The center, which is being built by Agile Space Industries, will be a multi-phase hot-fire rocket engine test facility designed to address a critical shortage of responsive, altitude-capable propulsion testing infrastructure for the global space industry.
“This facility is intentionally scalable, built to seed a new space industry hub in Oklahoma.”
Nick Aadland, Agile Space Industries
Built on more than 12 years of propulsion testing heritage at Agile Space Industries, the Space Test Center will provide high-throughput testing services for small to medium-class rocket engines supporting commercial, civil, and national security space missions.
“The Space Test Center is the first $20 million step in a $200 million propulsion testing ecosystem,” said Nick Aadland, the Technical Manager at Space Test Center. “This facility is intentionally scalable, built to seed a new space industry hub in Oklahoma and close a critical national gap in modern in-space propulsion test capacity.”
“The Space Test Center is purpose-built to enable speed to space,” said Jim Vasher, General Manager at Space Test Center. “Demand for in-space propulsion is growing rapidly, but access to modern test infrastructure has not kept pace. STC directly addresses that gap with flexible, scalable, and secure testing services.”
The global space economy exceeds $600 billion and is projected to grow to more than $1 trillion by 2040. Most SmallSat and ESPA-class spacecraft rely on thrusters under 100 pounds-force (lbf), with development demand concentrated between 25 and 300 lbf. However, few facilities are designed to support high-throughput testing in this thrust class, particularly for hypergolic propellant systems.
Legacy test facilities face long lead times, limited propellant flexibility, and outdated testing approaches. And have long proven to not be able to keep up with the needed and growing demand of the market. The Space Test Center is designed to meet these needs with secure, U.S.-based infrastructure optimized Fast throughput, advanced data collection systems, and an experienced team. This is not just an internal facing testing service but a testing facility that is here to serve the nation and the industry to all customers who need fast and advanced hot-fire testing for their mission’s needs.
A groundbreaking ceremony held last month was attended by national, state, and industry leaders, including former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Oklahoma state representative Nick Archer, Oklahoma State Senator John Haste, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Oklahoma department of commerce John Budd, STC General Manager, Jim Vasher, CEO of Agile Space Industries, Chris Pearson, and additional representatives from state and county government, tribal nations, and the aerospace sector.
The Space Test Center is expected to anchor a broader regional space industry cluster known as the Tulsa Space Park, attracting additional manufacturing, integration, and testing capabilities to the region. With access to a growing aerospace workforce and strategic infrastructure, Tulsa is positioned for sustained space industry growth.
As U.S. reliance on space-based infrastructure continues to increase, the Space Test Center strengthens domestic propulsion testing capabilities critical to science, exploration, and national security missions.