BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — 2020 was a busy year for Florida’s space industry.
From the first crewed launch from U.S. soil in nearly a decade to a mission to Mars, and a mission to sample an asteroid, it’s safe to say business along the Space Coast is booming.
The successful partnership between NASA and private aerospace companies, such as SpaceX and ULA, has many in the industry looking forward to 2021.
WATCH: SpaceX closes out 2020 with successful launch of NRO satellite
With the new year also comes a new presidential administration, which could mean changes to what programs get funding in 2021.
Don Platt, associate professor of space systems at Florida Institute of Technology, said there is always a shift in priorities with a change in leadership.
“Normally, anytime there’s a new presidential administration, they want to have their own projects and do their own tweaks to what we’re doing in space,” Platt said.
READ: Delta IV Heavy rocket successfully launches from the Space Coast
Dale Ketcham, of Space Florida, said the area most likely to see a change is in human spaceflight.
“The commercial crew program was started by Obama-Biden, so they are invested in that. They like space stations, so keeping that viable. I think the moon program, I think the zeal to get there in 2024, will probably abate,” Ketcham said.
That could mean changes in NASA’s plans to land the first woman on the moon by 2024.
Platt said he also thinks the new administration may shift to a more international approach to manned space flight.
“I think we can see the Biden administration being more involved certainly with our European partners and maybe even getting other groups involved in lunar exploration,” he said.
Platt said that could mean more business for the commercial space industry.
“We’re going to see more commercial missions going on, more exploration launches going on from the Space Coast,” Platt said.
With more and more space-related businesses moving operations to Florida, and its history with America’s space program, many feel the Space Coast is the perfect choice for the U.S. Space Command’s new headquarters.
“We’re never going to lose our advantage in terms of geography. The Space Coast is going to be ideal for launching commercial payloads, launching humans or military program assets. So we’re going to have a tremendous role in a space force,” Platt said.
The final decision on the new headquarters isn’t expected until sometime in 2021.
You can find a list of upcoming NASA missions here.
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