{"id":11382,"date":"2026-05-14T19:22:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/defense-business-brief-tulsas-space-draw-cadenazzis-wish-andurils-5b-round\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T19:22:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:22:07","slug":"defense-business-brief-tulsas-space-draw-cadenazzis-wish-andurils-5b-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/defense-business-brief-tulsas-space-draw-cadenazzis-wish-andurils-5b-round\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense Business Brief: Tulsa\u2019s space draw; Cadenazzi\u2019s wish; Anduril\u2019s $5B round"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Quantum Space is building its first satellite, but the Maryland-based company is already planning its first large manufacturing facility in Tulsa. Why there? Location and propulsion testing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The state government is \u201cbuilding a hypergolic test stand in Oklahoma that will be owned and operated by Agile Space Industries\u2014that’s for in-space propulsion. And of course, those are the thrusters that we’re going to use on Ranger and they’re going to be tested there at the hypergolic test facility,\u201d Quantum Space CEO Jim Bridenstine told Defense One<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause if you’re going to sustain maneuver, you’ve got to have high energy thrust to get out of the way of threats\u2026to look at threats to get out of the way of debris. This is what Ranger, our satellite, is capable of\u2026So all of this means we need the ability to use thrust and we’re going to have thrust in levels and capabilities that others in the market don’t have. And all that thrust has to be tested\u2026in Tulsa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bridenstine, who is a former NASA administrator and U.S. congressman for Oklahoma, said his company already has a government customer for the Ranger Prime satellite, which will maneuver quickly in orbit using technologies currently under development. The plan is to fly Ranger in 2027.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read a Q&A with Bridenstine here.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Welcome<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve reached the Defense Business Brief, where we dig into what the Pentagon buys, who they\u2019re buying from, and why. Send along your tips, feedback, and song recommendations to lwilliams@defenseone.com<\/strong>. Check out the Defense Business Brief archive here<\/strong>, and tell your friends to subscribe<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

As private capital flows toward defense<\/strong>, Michael Cadenazzi, the Pentagon\u2019s industrial policy chief, wants some of the funding to underpin expansions of the gritty foundation of manufacturing: critical minerals, material sciences, factories, he said last week at the Special Competitive Studies Project\u2019s annual AI Expo.\u00a0<\/p>\n