CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Florida's commercial space industry just got a little bit brighter with the addition of Firefly Aerospace.
Space Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the company's CEO Friday at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to tout a $50 million investment and the creation of more than 200 jobs.
WFTV reporter Melonie Holt found out those jobs will support every aspect of launch operations.
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Firefly Aerospace plans to lift off from Florida's Space Coast and to manufacture its launch vehicles here, as well.
“There could be a myriad of possibilities for payloads, anything from supplies to science missions in that medium to small class,” said Firefly Aerospace CEO Tom Markusic.
The company said it's preparing to launch its alpha and larger beta rockets from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's historic Launch Complex 20.
This will require significant infrastructure improvements made possible with an assist from Space Florida via the state's Department of Transportation Spaceport Improvement program.
“Look, we have an opportunity to do a lot with commercial space, and Firefly, I think, is a big component of that,” DeSantis said. “These are going to be good jobs, and I think this is going to continue to be a focus for me in terms of creating jobs in Florida.”
DeSantis has also made no secret of his desire for President Donald Trump to headquarter the proposed United States Space Command in Florida, calling it a logical choice.
It certainly was for Firefly, which shared renderings of its proposed manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center's Exploration Park, which is already home to Blue Origin and OneWeb facilities.
“There's no question this area and the industry is going through a space renaissance,” said Frank Dibello with Space Florida. “It's a commercial space renaissance. It's a different program than it was for our fathers and grandfathers.”
If all goes according to plan, Firefly’s first Florida launch will be in 2021.
Now: Firefly Aerospace announces launch and manufacturing project on Florida's Space Coast #WFTV pic.twitter.com/pk3Di8SVPI
— Melonie Holt (@MHoltWFTV) February 22, 2019
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