Elk City, OK – State Rep. Nick Archer, R-Elk City, says Oklahoma is starting to turn talk about space into real-world jobs and investment, and western Oklahoma is right in the middle of it.

During a recent appearance on the Exploring Energy program on 96.5 KECO, Archer gave an update on activity at the Oklahoma Air & Space Port and outlined an interim study he hosted on aerospace and space development.

Archer, a member of the House Transportation Committee, said the study focused on what the growing space sector could mean for the state and how Oklahoma can position itself to benefit.

“Probably a month ago, I was able to host an interim study through the transportation committee in the House where we looked at aerospace, specifically space, and what that means for Oklahoma and what opportunities lie ahead for us,” Archer said. “We had a really good interim study.”

Committee Chair Rep. Nicole Miller praised the work, Archer said.

“Chairwoman Miller of the transportation committee said after the fact, ‘Nick, this might have been one of the best and certainly my favorite studies that we’ve done in a really long time,’” he told listeners.

Archer said that reaction reflects a broader sense that Oklahoma is gaining momentum in the aerospace and space arena, particularly in western Oklahoma.

“We have extremely unique assets here in Western Oklahoma,” he said. “We have proximity to world-class research in Oklahoma City that is already there and already existing. So it’s just trying to tie those pieces together to create that synergy, and we’re moving those pieces right now.”

Rockets, engines and new investment

One of the key companies involved in the interim study was Agile Space, which is in the process of testing hypergolic rocket thrust in Oklahoma. Archer noted that Agile’s work in the state was made possible by legislation he authored.

He said Oklahoma had long allowed testing of traditional air-breathing engines, such as jet engines, but recent changes opened that framework to rocket technology.

“Their ability to do that in the state came through legislation I ran, which opened our air breathing engine test program into hypergolic thrust and rocket engines,” Archer said. “We’ve had that program in place for quite some time, and that’s how we’ve seen traditional aerospace grow, like American Airlines in Tulsa and some of those things for traditional air-breathing turbines like jet engines.

“When we expanded that to include rockets, we already had a company sign up, and that was Agile. They did a very good job. They’re already talking about expansion of what they’re doing, and they’re really not even up and running yet, which is incredible.”

On the more traditional aviation side, Archer pointed to Premium Aerospace as another sign of growth at the Air & Space Port.

“Premium Aerospace opened their hangar within the last few months,” he said. “It’s a 20 plus million dollar hangar. It’s the first hangar to open out there since the fifties. And it’s certainly not the last.”

Big names at the table

Archer said the interim study drew attention from major players in aerospace, both inside and outside Oklahoma.

“We had a former Oklahoma congressman and the 13th administrator of NASA, Jim Bridenstine, participate in the study,” Archer said. “We had Boeing and a lot of the things they’re doing. We had Amazon participate because, if listeners don’t know, Amazon has Project Kuiper, which is similar to what SpaceX has done with Starlink, and they’re moving that at breakneck pace.”

While Archer said he does not expect every Amazon satellite to launch from Oklahoma, he stressed that the state is already part of the supply chain.

“I don’t think we’re going to be launching all of those for Amazon out of Oklahoma, but a lot of that stuff is already being built right here in the state, continuing that manufacturing pipeline,” he said.

Other companies that took part in the study included Nordam, Dawn Aerospace, Quantum Space and several others.

“We had about eight presenters, all companies you’d look at and say, wow,” Archer said. “Quantum Space just won a government contract for their Ranger vehicle, which is one of the first maneuverable satellites.”

He explained that most satellites follow traditional orbits with limited adjustment.

“When you think about satellites in space, those are generally traditional orbit. They can maneuver a little bit, but not true maneuverability,” Archer said. “These guys have a satellite that can move like a craft, which is beyond me.”

‘We just have to capitalize on it’

Archer said the pace of change in aerospace and space technology would have been hard to imagine a generation ago, but it is now offering very real opportunities for the state.

“If you had told me as a kid about the technology we see today, I would’ve told you you were crazy,” he said. “But it’s here. It’s real. And a lot of that opportunity is staring Oklahoma in the face. We just have to capitalize on it.”

Lawmakers will have a chance to continue that conversation when they return to the Capitol early next year. The next regular session of the Oklahoma Legislature is scheduled to convene on February 2.

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