The state of Florida will have two more spaceports.
A bill passed in both the state House and Senate now awaits Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signature.
“The spaceport territory designation is the first step in a pretty long process. That allows us at Space Florida to take advantage of all of the tools in our tool kit to help aerospace companies, and specific with space companies, grow,” said Space Florida’s CEO Rob Long.
The new spaceports will be at Homestead Air Force Reserve Base and Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City.
So, with more spaceports being developed, what does that mean for not only Cape Canaveral, but the growing aerospace industry here in Central Florida?
“There is no possibility right now that anything is going to change for Cape Canaveral, this area. You know, there’s 70 years of infrastructure built up here to support launches,” explained Long.
And with potentially over 100 launches from the Cape this year, there’s no viable competition from another spaceport in Florida or elsewhere in the county.
“You would not want other activities to get in the way of that. So it’s possible that you would look at engine testing, for example. Is an activity that someone would want to have close to Cape Canaveral to support the space transport industry,” added Long.
So, the support network for space transport in the state might be dispersed at other spaceports.
For now, the focus for launches will continue from the legacy built out on the Cape.