Space Florida eyes merging of US operations at Cape Canaveral
As Florida leaders call for moving the nation's space-agency headquarters to Brevard County, Space Florida is launching a study about how NASA and U.S. Space Force operations could be merged at Cape Canaveral.
Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long on Wednesday told board members of the state aerospace agency that a 'unified model' would support the ongoing growth of commercial space operations and ensure government missions can be more efficient and sustainable.
'We think that it's time that we ask ourselves as a nation, what is the optimal model to carry the world's most active and capable spaceport into the future and enable America to continue to lead in space,' Long said.
How that looks will be up to a 'new Cape Canaveral Spaceport master plan,' which Long said will include participation from NASA and the Space Force.
Under Acting Administrator Janet Petro, NASA is looking to consolidate or relocate operations to streamline the organization.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has supported moving NASA's headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Florida, with backers saying it would put leaders closer to the agency's operations. The idea has drawn support from most members of Florida's congressional delegation, including through proposed legislation, the Consolidating Aerospace Programs Efficiently at Canaveral (CAPE Canaveral) Act, which calls for placing the headquarters in Brevard County.
Meanwhile, members of the Texas congressional delegation have asked President Donald Trump to move the headquarters to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Long said that 'at this stage, there is no predetermined outcome' for the master plan, with a goal to recommend 'a governance model that will maximize spaceport capacity for the nation and minimize inefficiencies.'
The military and NASA have operated separate portions of the spaceport since the 1950s.
The model enabled America to win the first space race, land people on the Moon, launch 135 space-shuttle missions, construct the International Space Station and begin to explore the solar system, Long said. But Long added the model has changed as the spaceport has 'rapidly evolved into a commercially driven economic engine that supports both government missions and commercial business cases alike.'
This year, there have been 31 successful launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and 13 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center.
Last year, there were 67 successful launches from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and 26 at Kennedy Space Center, up from 58 at Cape Canaveral and 13 at Kennedy in 2023.
Space Florida, which is working on upgrading wastewater facilities at the cape and expanding wharf space for the industry at Port Canaveral, manages certain operations at the spaceport through property leased from the federal government, including launch and landing facilities through an agreement with NASA.
Long said infrastructure at the cape --- such as utility systems, roads and bridges --- is 'becoming strained' as commercial activity at the spaceport has increased. He estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in unfunded infrastructure improvements will need to be addressed over the next decade at the spaceport.
A consultant is expected to be named for the master plan study in June, and the first two phases are expected to be completed in eight months to a year, Long said.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What does lightning look like from space? See stunning photos from astronauts on ISS
It's safe to say that most of us have seen lightning here on Earth plenty of times – some of us have even been struck by it. But the natural phenomenon is one all but a few select individuals will ever have the chance to see from the vantage of 250 miles in orbit. Fortunately, a few astronauts over the years have been more than willing to generously share a glimpse of crashing lightning as seen from outer space. And you better believe it looks nothing like what we're used to seeing from the ground. The latest images of sky-splitting lightning came courtesy of two NASA astronauts who reached the International Space Station together in March after launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. In May, Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain posted photos on social media site X of lightning roiling far, far beneath them. "This is what lightning looks like from the top down," McClain said in a post shared May 21. Here's a closer look at just what they managed to capture from above Earth's atmosphere. The images McClain and Ayers shared show electrostatic discharges – in other words, lightning – from above the clouds as they orbited in the International Space Station. In Ayers' post on X, she said she first observed lightning May 1 while suited up for a spacewalk outside the orbital outpost. She then managed to capture a few photos the next day, which she shared May 5. "I am so amazed by the view we have up here of our Earth's weather systems," Ayers posted. While it was unclear what part of Earth the lightning was striking in Ayers' photos, McClain said her images were captured over Alabama and Georgia. "Fast and furious, but also an incredible sight!" McClain said. The photos not only reveal the chaotic beauty of lightning, but could provide valuable orbital data to scientists studying the phenomenon back on Earth. Here's a look at some of the astronauts' photos: The photos were captured at speeds of 120 frames per second, with the depicted flashes only taking up one frame. The technique was pioneered by veteran NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who is renowned for his astral photography. Pettit, who had arrived in September 2024 for his third and most recent space station stint, departed April 19, 2025, with two cosmonauts before safely landing in Kazakhstan on his 70th birthday. Ayers and McClain, who also recently made headlines for completing a rare all-female spacewalk, are among seven people living at the International Space Station. The crew of Expedition 73 includes three Americans, three Russian cosmonauts and one Japanese spacefarer from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa.) McClain and Ayers are both part of a SpaceX mission known as Crew-10 that reached the space station in March 2025. Their arrival with JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov paved the way for the NASA astronauts who crewed the doomed Boeing Starliner to depart with the Crew-9 mission. Also at the station is NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, who reached the outpost in April 2025 with cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@ This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Lightning from space: Astronauts post stunning weather images on X
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Marjorie Taylor Greene Shocked by AI Rule in Budget Bill She Voted for
On Tuesday, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene confessed that she had not read all of Republicans' One Big Beautiful Bill Act before voting for it. She also noted there was a provision on AI she wouldve voted against if she had taken the time to actually look at the piece of major legislation she's spent weeks pushing. 'Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years. I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there,' the Georgia representative wrote on X. 'We have no idea what AI will be capable of in the next 10 years and giving it free rein and tying states hands is potentially dangerous. This needs to be stripped out in the Senate.' The provision states that: No state or political subdivision thereof may enforce, during the 10-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, any law or regulation … limiting, restricting, or otherwise regulating artificial intelligence models, artificial intelligence systems, or automated decision systems entered into interstate commerce. 'When the OBBB comes back to the House for approval after Senate changes, I will not vote for it with this in it. We should be reducing federal power and preserving state power. Not the other way around,' Taylor Greene continued. 'Especially with rapidly developing AI that even the experts warn they have no idea what it may be capable of.' Taylor Greene's post underscores both a competence issue on her end and the greater lack of Republican cohesion on the details of this One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While MTG threatens to recast her future vote, the Senate's more traditional fiscal conservatives like Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, and Susan Collins look to hem it in over cuts to Medicaid and a sharp deficit increase.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
SpaceX will hit $15.5 billion in revenue this year, Elon Musk says
Elon Musk seems to think the sky isn't SpaceX's limit — and maybe not even its revenue ceiling. The CEO said on Tuesday that his company is on track to generate $15.5 billion in revenue in 2025, a leap from last year's estimated $11-13 billion. Musk posted SpaceX's revenue projections on X and added that, in 'perhaps an interesting milestone,' SpaceX's commercial revenue from space will exceed NASA's entire budget in 2026. The company will make about $1.1 billion alone through its work with NASA this year. SpaceX is one of the world's most valuable privately held companies, and its revenue is largely driven by two segments: its launch services and Starlink, its global satellite internet division. In February, Starlink claimed to have over five million customers worldwide; its base reportedly doubled from 2023 to 2024. Musk has said Starlink will go public once cash flow becomes more predictable — but hasn't specified when that might be. Meanwhile, SpaceX completed 134 launches in 2024 and is aiming for as many as 170 this year (it has already launched 62 times in 2025) — more than any other company or government space agency. Most of these are Falcon 9 missions, which have been used to deliver commercial satellites, government payloads, and NASA cargo. The rockets' reusability has been an advantage, and frequent launches have helped SpaceX secure a large share of the global market. But competitors such as Blue Origin and some international players are making progress, meaning the commercial launch market is getting more crowded. Much of the SpaceX's revenue is being plowed directly into the company's Starship program, which Musk sees as the key to interplanetary expansion — namely his plan to colonize Mars. Each Starship launch costs around estimated $100 million; Musk has said his goal is to lower that to around $10 million. But Starship has yet to demonstrate full mission success. A recent launch went father than ever before — but still ended with the rocket spinning out of control. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
