RIO RANCHO, N.M. —

Residents are having their say this week about the possibility of having a company that manufactures hypersonic rocket engines set up shop in their vicinity.

Rio Rancho is one of the finalists for Project Ranger, a large-scale facility to be operated by the Castelion Corporation, whose product, they say, demonstrates "industrial agility to strengthen national security and outpace evolving threats."

The rocket engines Castelion manufactures will be used in long-range hypersonic missiles. During a community meeting Tuesday night, Andrew Kreitz, the company's chief financial officer, emphasized that there would be no synthesis or heavy chemicals on site, and nothing would be launched from the location. Castelion explained that there is a critical gap in these weapons in

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