Company Officials to Host Public Sessions on Rocket Motor Plant
Executives from Castelion Corporation will hold three public sessions next week to answer questions about Project Ranger, a proposed 1,000 acre rocket motor manufacturing facility near Rio Rancho. The meetings matter to Sandoval County residents because technical documents show potential blast impacts and groundwater risks that could affect thousands of homes, schools and parks in nearby neighborhoods.
Castelion Corporation will hold office hours and a larger community meeting next week to discuss Project Ranger, the hypersonic missile motor manufacturing facility approved for unincorporated Sandoval County. The California based company will be at The HUB at Enchanted Hills from 2 to 4 p.m. on December 9, at Star Heights Recreation Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on December 10, and will host a community meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. on December 10 at Mariposa Community Center.
Local officials approved the site on November 17 after months of debate. Castelion selected Sandoval County for the 1,000 acre facility that will be located about 3 miles west of Rio Rancho city limits and roughly 2.9 miles from the Northern Meadows community. The Torrance, California based company, founded in late 2022, plans to manufacture solid rocket motors for hypersonic missiles and conduct short static fire tests at the site lasting about 30 seconds. Flight testing will take place at Department of Defense ranges, and the company says no missiles will be launched from the property and no chemical synthesis will occur on site.
Proponents point to economic benefits including 300 jobs with an average salary near $100,000 and more than $650 million in projected economic output over the next decade. Castelion plans to invest more than $100 million in the first four years of development and expects to break ground in early 2026. Sandoval County approved $125 million in industrial revenue bonds and committed $4 million in incentives, while the city of Rio Rancho approved up to $1 million in support.
Opponents continue to raise public health and environmental concerns. Technical documents reviewed during the approval process indicate emergency explosion scenarios could affect structures up to 5 miles away, a radius that includes 5,933 buildings and structures in communities such as Northern Meadows, Camino Crossings, North Hills and Sierra Norte. Residents have flagged the risk of groundwater contamination from ammonium perchlorate, a toxic oxidizer used in rocket motors, and questioned projected water use. Some estimates show the facility could use up to 8 million gallons annually though company officials have said actual usage would be similar to about 50 households.
Local emergency officials warned of operational strains. Rio Rancho Fire Chief James Wenzel informed city councilors in November that the facility's high hazard classification will place unique demands on firefighting resources and that water cannot be used to extinguish ammonium perchlorate fires, meaning crews would have to allow such fires to burn. Community organizers have also criticized the approval process for perceived lack of transparency, saying many residents learned of the project through social media shortly before initial meetings.
The upcoming sessions are an opportunity for residents to question company officials about safety protocols, environmental monitoring, emergency planning and long term community impacts.
