EXPLORATION PARK, Fla. – Sen. Ashley Moody introduced legislation on Tuesday to officially establish Florida as the home of the new U.S. Space Academy.
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Florida Space Legislation
What we know:
The proposed bill would name Florida’s Space Coast as the headquarters for the U.S. Space Academy, which was created weeks ago through an executive order from President Donald Trump.
State leaders say bringing the academy to the Space Coast builds directly on the area’s established hub for military, government and commercial space operations.
The academy will create a path for students pursuing careers in the space force, in addition to serving NASA and commercial spaceflight companies.
Planning for academy
Dig deeper:
Moody says Florida’s Space Coast is equipped to start planning for the U.S. Space Academy as soon as tomorrow.Â
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She says it’s critical that the nation keeps up with the international “space race”.
Moody also previously introduced the Cape Canaveral Act, a separate bill aimed at relocating NASA headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Florida’s Space Coast.
Space Exploration Future
What they’re saying:
“We’ve increased 500% in the last decade, in terms of our number of launches, so our competitive edge, as I laid out, is there,” Moody said. “Florida leads among any other state, hands down. It’s not even close. I think there will be pilot programs, initiatives, prior to any formal building, that can begin before that takes place.”
Timeline unclear
What we don’t know:
Lawmakers haven’t confirmed a proposed timeline or exact location for physical facilities, but Moody said pilot programs could begin before formal construction starts, if the bill is passed.
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