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PRAXIS AI Powered drones at Vandenburg AFB

Praxis, a startup focused on creating a technology-driven city, has chosen Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, as the location for Atlas, a defense-oriented spaceport city, co-founder Dryden Brown announced.

The Details:

• Atlas aims to help revitalize U.S. manufacturing by developing AI-powered drones, ships, and space infrastructure to strengthen national security and defense capabilities.

• Vandenberg Space Force Base, a key aerospace hub, already hosts SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Relativity Space.

• Atlas, with a projected $17.4 billion investment, is expected to generate 20,000 high-paying U.S. jobs, support 50,000 residents, and drive a $35 billion economic impact, pending federal analysis.

• Praxis has secured approximately $500 million in funding from prominent investors, including Sam Altman’s Apollo Projects, Shervin Pishevar, and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss via Winklevoss Capital.

• During the 2024 presidential election, Trump proposed building up to 10 futuristic “freedom cities” on federal land. (CJ)

What’s Next: Atlas aims to leverage Vandenberg’s unmatched test range and missile testing facilities to conduct advanced autonomous vehicle testing, long-range sensor validation, and integrated air-space-ground system trials. Praxis’s 87,000-member online community, including talent from Anduril, Palantir, DOGE, and Andreessen Horowitz, is eager to drive the development of the defense-focused Atlas spaceport city, pending the critical Enhanced Use Lease approval.