The control tower and adjoining office building serves as a something of a landmark and icon for the nascent spaceport. (credit: J. Foust)

Infinity One Spaceport (formally Oklahoma Air & Space Port): Heritage in Motion

Provided By
Merrick & Company
July 2026

Long before it was linked to spaceflight, the windswept plains of western Oklahoma served a different mission. What is now Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport began as a Naval Air training facility during World War II and later became a Strategic Air Command (SAC) installation during the Cold War. Thousands of air crews trained and maintained readiness from these runways in an era marked by global tension. When the base was decommissioned, it could have followed a familiar path toward industrial repurposing or abandonment. Instead, a small group of Oklahomans, led by aviation advocate Bill Khourie, saw a future in space transportation.

Their vision centered on preserving the site’s aeronautical DNA. At its core was a notable asset: a 13,503-foot runway, one of the longest civilian-use runways in the United States. Built to handle heavily loaded military aircraft, it became one of the most capable yet underutilized runways in the country. While many former military bases lost their connection to flight, this one held on, waiting for the right moment.

That moment took time.

Like many first-generation commercial spaceports, Oklahoma’s facility arrived ahead of the market. The early 2000s brought optimism about commercial spaceflight, but vehicles, regulatory frameworks, and sustainable business models lagged behind early enthusiasm. For years, the spaceport symbolized potential not yet realized, underscoring the gap between infrastructure and market readiness.

Today, that story is shifting.

Recently rebranded as Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport, the site is aligning itself with the realities and growth of the NewSpace era. The name reflects the “Infinity One” flight corridor, a strategic pathway enabling high-inclination orbital access, a clear reminder that geography still matters in spaceflight. More importantly, it signals a transition from aspiration to action.

That action is taking shape. Dawn Aerospace’s plans to operate an uncrewed suborbital spaceplane from the site, potentially as early as 2027, show how the market has matured to meet the infrastructure. Reusable vehicles, responsive launch concepts, and commercial demand for microgravity and high-frequency access are converging with assets that have been ready for decades.

Infinity One offers a compelling lesson for the global spaceport community: infrastructure alone does not create a market, but preserving capability ensures readiness when the market arrives. Vision, persistence, and timing must align. Equally important is the human story. From WWII trainees to SAC crews, from local champions to modern aerospace entrepreneurs, the throughline is continuity of purpose that keeps the frontier open.

As spaceports around the world grapple with how to balance near-term viability with long-term ambition, Infinity One functions as both a reminder and an inspiration. It shows how past investment can support future growth. The past is not just something to preserve, it is something to build from. And sometimes, the longest runways lead to the longest horizons.