Oklahoma Senator John Haste said aerospace is poised to supplant oil and gas as the top industry in the state.

Haste, a Broken Arrow Republican who represents District 36, was the featured speaker at the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Aerospace Council Meeting on Feb. 16 at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, the event sponsor.

More than 40 attendees heard from Haste, who chairs the Senate Aeronautics and Transportation Committee.

“I see it (aerospace) becoming our number one industry,” he said. “We’re behind oil and gas right now. I think it will surpass it. Not that we are going to let up on oil and gas, just that this is going to grow. We’re growing at about 10% a year.” 

The second-term legislator described Oklahoma as the “MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) capital of the world” for aviation, adding that the state has 1,100 aerospace manufacturing companies.

Haste said he recently attended a meeting in Orlando, Fla., with former U.S. Congressman and former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, along with current representatives from NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and rocket-launching companies.

Talked about in Florida was Oklahoma’s potential to launch rockets from the Oklahoma Air & Space Port in Burns Flat, which is in the southwestern part of the state.

“NASA is running out of launch sites for rockets,” Haste said. “...We’re well-positioned for this, so we’re trying to be part of that conversation. We will probably work to appropriate some additional funds to Burns Flat to be able to support that.”

Haste said he also met with the procurement side of the U.S. Space Force to discuss Oklahoma’s manufacturing capabilities in the rocket sector. Representatives from the Space Force, the space-service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, are scheduled to come to Oklahoma in March, he said.

“Just like when I went to the Paris Air Show this past June and attended about 20 different meetings, this is about selling Oklahoma,” Haste said. “We are the place to come. Aerospace is in our DNA, aeronautics. All of that falls in defense. All falls into this genre. We want them in Oklahoma because we’re good for it.”

Also at the Aerospace Council meeting, Tulsa Air and Space Museum Executive Director Tonya Blansett gave an update on the facility. 

In addition, executives from Source Approval Packaging & Aerospace Consultation (SAPAC), Chief Executive Officer Brant Moman and President Matt Pantoja, led a discussion on contracting with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

SAPAC helps Oklahoma aerospace companies secure DoD work through SAPAC’s partnership with the Aerospace Commerce Economic Services (ACES) division of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.