# A missile factory came to her neighborhood > Sally Schultz bought affordable land in New Mexico to build a life. Then a hypersonic weapons manufacturer moved next door. - Title: A missile factory came to her neighborhood · WIRED | Shortify - Summary: Sally Schultz bought affordable land in New Mexico to build a life. Then a hypersonic weapons manufacturer moved next door. A hypersonic missile factory is… - Keywords: castelion, project ranger, hypersonic missiles, rio rancho estates, new mexico, defense manufacturing, industrial safety, sally schultz, sandia national labs, missile, factory, came - Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/a-new-mexico-community-was-a-place-to-build-a-life-then-a-hypersonic-missile-factory-showed-up - Author: Yulia Almazova - Published: 2026-10-09T09:30:00+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: castelion, project ranger, hypersonic missiles, rio rancho estates, new mexico, defense manufacturing, industrial safety, sally schultz, sandia national labs ## A second chance on half an acre Sally Schultz, a single mother of four, bought half an acre in Rio Rancho Estates, New Mexico for three thousand five hundred dollars. She grew corn, squash and green chile on the land. ## Then a missile company arrived Castelion, a startup founded in November two thousand twenty-two by three former SpaceX executives, is building Project Ranger, which it claims will be America's largest dedicated hypersonic manufacturing production facility. ## Homes are in the danger zone The facility is in some cases a little more than one thousand yards from roughly four hundred fifty properties in Rio Rancho Estates.Homes are within a danger zone should explosive chemicals stored onsite catch fire. ## Safety questions remain unanswered A year into Castelion's relationship with New Mexico, the company still hasn't answered basic safety questions. A hazard assessment found buildings would be left to burn in case of fire, releasing hydrochloric acid gas. ## Residents fear the worst Sally Schultz says the unknowing is scariest. Local resident Laura Lundberg says she lives next door to where World War three will be manufactured. > I live next door to where World War III will be manufactured. ## A startup with big military backing Castelion has a valuation of thirteen billion dollars, more than four times its Series B valuation of two point eight billion dollars from last year. ## Blackbeard missiles cost far more Castelion's Blackbeard missile was set to sell for three hundred eighty-four thousand dollars per unit. ## Nevada rejected the same plan In August two thousand twenty-three, Castelion applied to build a rocket factory in Churchill County, Nevada under the name Pallas Industrials. The company pulled out after Nevada officials required testing conditions and safety protocols. ## A hazard report exposed online In June two thousand twenty-five, Sandia National Labs delivered a hazard report. The lab released a heavily redacted version but left the full unredacted report accessible via copying and pasting the text. ## Massive chemical stockpiles on site Castelion plans to store up to two hundred fifty thousand pounds of ammonium perchlorate in covered magazines and bunkers. ## Worst-case explosion scenarios A detonation of the facility's largest allowed stockpile would require a buffer of almost nine football fields from the nearest inhabited building. A worst-case explosion could shatter large windows almost four miles away. ## Firefighters cannot enter high-risk areas The Rio Rancho Fire Department determined seventeen of the twenty-six buildings at Project Ranger would be left to burn if fire ignited. Firefighters would be barred from entering high-risk facilities due to chemical blaze risks. ## Safety standards negotiated mid-construction Internal emails show Castelion was negotiating critical fire-response requirements between March and May, even as construction had already started. The company only needed a signed memorandum of understanding to proceed. > Great news! Saves all of us both legal bills and headaches. ## State and county backed the project In August two thousand twenty-five, the county approved one hundred twenty-five million dollars in industrial revenue bonds and granted a ninety-five percent discount on property taxes. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham attended the groundbreaking ceremony. ## Residents say they were shut out Castelion held its first public information meeting in October two thousand twenty-five. Rio Rancho resident Zachary Darden says all of this happened behind the scenes and by the time it was public, it was already… > All of this happened behind the scenes. By the time it was public, it was already a done deal. ## Low-income residents face relocation costs Rio Rancho Estates is a low-income neighborhood where residents are contemplating whether risks are too high to stay. > This land is affordable for people who need it. We were sold out by our local officials. ## Key takeaway A hypersonic missile factory is being built near 450 homes in Rio Rancho Estates, New Mexico, despite hazard reports identifying significant fire and explosion risks to residents.