NASA headquarters sought for Florida

Moving the headquarters of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to Kennedy Space Center in Florida is supported by Gov. Ron DeSantis, he said Wednesday.

The second-term Republican governor made his remarks as he and other state officials kicked off the Florida University Space Research Consortium at Cape Canaveral.

"They have this massive building in Washington, D.C., that nobody goes to it and why don't you shutter it and move everybody down here?" DeSantis said. "Hopefully, with a new administration coming in, they'll see a great opportunity to headquarter NASA right here on the Space Coast of Florida."

The consortium of the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has been designated as the state's official space research entity, which will allow the award of NASA research grants in partnership with Kennedy Space Center.

DeSantis said Space Florida, the state's economic development agency for aerospace, has a projected annual impact of $1.1 billion for the Florida economy.

The agency approved the research consortium on Nov. 7.

Florida has 150,000 workers in the aerospace industry, 2,700 aerospace and aviation establishments, 21 commercial airports, 20 major military bases and three spaceports.

"If you look at our ecosystem for space, it's never been better," DeSantis said. "We have an ability to fuel innovative research initiatives and allow the formation of national space policy right here in the Sunshine State. The possibilities are endless once this memorandum of understanding is signed."

NASA administrator and former U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, unable to return home to Florida to attend the event, said in a prerecorded message that this was something he'd long wanted to happen.

He compared the consortium with NASA's ties to other universities, such as Texas A&M University with a campus at Johnson Space Center in Houston and the University of North Alabama for its ties with the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville.

"So this consortium is the beginning of adding a lot more universities," Nelson said. "It's a dream team. And the things you will accomplish won't be dreams any more."