Oklahoma's aerospace industry is the state's second-largest after oil and gas, with $52 billion in annual economic impact; it's also the fastest-growing.
Still, state officials want it to grow larger and faster, and Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Executive Director Grayson Ardies says midterm election results—especially in Texas—could help propel that mission.
Ardies said Democratic state governments generally have stricter regulatory environments and fewer incentives for aerospace and technology companies, creating uncertainty for many Texas developers.
"I think there are some opportunities afoot for Oklahoma to take advantage of some of the disparity in the unknowns that are going to happen in Texas," he said.
Developers in Texas include industry heavyweights like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Firefly Aerospace, and while Ardies says securing their commitment is a long shot, they aren't the only companies Oklahoma is willing to accommodate.
And while official conversations have not taken place with any companies since the midterms, Ardies said, but hints of potential moves in the event of a "blue wave" have been flying around since before voters hit the polls.
"There are several companies that have told us anecdotally prior to the election that, 'hey, if this happens, there's a good chance we may recalculate our decision or recalculate our ranking of Texas in the order of the locations that we wanted to go,'" Ardies said.
So, as Democrats take power in Texas and other formerly red states, Oklahoma is posturing itself as an oasis for the aerospace industry's political castaways.
What does Oklahoma have to offer?
OASIS is the acronym for the state's aerospace infrastructure framework, dubbed the Oklahoma Advanced Space Innovation Sector.
Announced by outgoing Gov. Kevin Stitt in June, the OASIS plan is meant to optimize Oklahoma's already established aerospace infrastructure to capture more of the "space" part of the global economy, which was projected by the World Economic Forum in 2024 to reach a value of $1.8 trillion over the next decade.
"We've been building the backbone of the aerospace industry and we do it better than anyone else," Stitt said. "By seizing this moment, we are creating generations of quality, good-paying jobs for our kids and grandkids. This is a critical moment, and we are prepared to take it."
The opportunity to capture a significant part of that global space economy has Stitt, Ardies and others energized. At an Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) meeting on Nov. 10, Chairman Kevin Potter asked Ardies about attracting Space X specifically, which is owned by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.
"I saw a news article where he was not happy with Texas," Potter said. "He's saying he just might move. Have we thought about any way that we might be able to work with Commerce or the governor's office or anything to re-engage with Elon Musk and SpaceX and Tesla?"
Potter pointed to Oklahoma's dealings with Tesla, Musk's electric-car company, back in 2020, as a possible starting point for renewed conversations.
"They've looked at Oklahoma before, and there are some components, I think, that if he's serious about what he's saying, we could be very attractive," Potter said.
Ardies affirmed that opportunities to connect with SpaceX exist, especially because the company's flagship Falcon and Starship rocket boosters are designed to launch and land again.
"Clearly what Elon has is a booster that can return itself to the launch pad," Ardies told Potter. "That's obviously a plus for any inland launch experience."
But rather than imagining SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets flying into orbit from landlocked Oklahoma (only coastal launches are legal under federal law), Ardies said he and others within the industry have maintained a more grounded vision of this state's future in space.
"We've never been to the flashy, fancy, sexy side of aviation," he said, explaining that Oklahoma's specialty lies in manufacturing and testing essential components for a slew of industry applications – and in being a "business-friendly" state with an appetite for corporate incentives.
"So even though we may not have the cool, flashy, fancy test experience, we still play a critical role," he said. "The jobs are still great-paying jobs and the technology is still incredible to work with. It's just one of those things that we got to play our niche."
