Manufacturer with ties to Pryor lands NASA moon landing contract

Canoo EV (Image courtesy: ShareAlike 4.0 International)

PRYOR, Okla. — An electric vehicle manufacturer with a facility in Pryor announced it was selected by NASA to provide vehicles for the first crewed moon landing in 50 years.

Canoo will provide the vehicles for the Artemis mission, which will carry astronauts, flight support staff and equipment to their launch site. Canoo will deliver several customized all-electric models to NASA by June 2023.

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Canoo won the contract in a bidding process on March 31. This is its first federal contract, and makes the company eligible for other government contracts.

Canoo will manufacture the vehicles in the U.S. The company named its Pryor facility as the site of its mega micro factory in 2021. Its headquarters and advanced manufacturing site is located in Bentonville, Ark.

Oklahoma gave Canoo $15 million from the state’s “Quick Action Closing Fund” in March, as part of an incentive package to bring thousands of new tech and manufacturing jobs to the state.

Canoo will bring more than 2,700 high tech advanced mobility jobs directly and attract many more indirectly to the region.

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“The heartland has produced 7 of America’s astronauts, including the first Native American astronaut. We are pleased to build on that incredible legacy and to engage the can-do spirit of this dynamic region in the future of space exploration” said Canoo investor, chairman and CEO Tony Aquila. “NASA’s choice will support high-paying technology and light blue collar EV advanced manufacturing jobs with the Cherokee Nation and the states of Oklahoma and Arkansas.”

The new vehicles for NASA will be based on Canoo’s all-electric Lifestyle Vehicle model, based on Canoo’s platform to maximize cabin space, utility and productivity on a compact footprint.