Major Changes Occurring On Florida's Space Coast Written 17 June 2019
Aviation Week reports that following the closure of the Space Shuttle program in Florida, "the surrounding area took a huge hit to the employment base." Although the shutdown's "ill effects...were mostly felt in the Space Coast region, which encompasses Volusia, Brevard and Orange counties," it "set in motion a strategy that focused on diversification of the space/aerospace industry as well as building the supply chain across an array of areas." Space Florida CEO Frank DiBello said, "That strategy has largely paid off." DiBello added, "We have come from an era where we were doing six to eight launches a year to the mid-20s for 2018. And we are now predicting 50 launches by 2021." DiBello praised the role of public/private partnerships in the space industry, which are run contrary to the trend of innovation driven solely by the private sector. (Image Credit: NASA)
Full Story (Aviation Week)