Florida Senator Ashley Moody convened a high-profile roundtable with aerospace leaders, university presidents, and industry economists on Friday to discuss her bold proposal to relocate NASA headquarters to Florida’s Space Coast.
The event, held at Space Florida, marks a major step in Moody’s campaign to re-center the nation’s space efforts in the Sunshine State.
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The roundtable came just one week after Moody introduced the Consolidating Aerospace Programs Efficiently (CAPE) at Canaveral Act, a federal bill that would officially move NASA’s central command from Washington, D.C. to Cape Canaveral — already home to the Kennedy Space Center and a growing ecosystem of public and private space operations.
“We are working with leaders in the space industry to advance our efforts to bring NASA headquarters to Florida,” Senator Moody said. “This effort would improve efficiency, foster collaboration with private space companies, capitalize on our skilled aerospace workforce, and solidify Florida as the Space State.”
Key Participants at the Roundtable:
- Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Interim President, Florida International University & Space Florida
- Rep. Mike Haridopolos (FL-8)
- Rob Long, President & CEO, Space Florida
- Kent Fuchs, Interim President, University of Florida
- P. Barry Butler, President, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Rodney Cruise, COO, Embry-Riddle
- Dr. Philip Metzger, Aerospace Researcher, University of Central Florida
- Lynda Weatherman, President, EDC of Florida’s Space Coast
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The group discussed the strategic advantages of moving NASA headquarters to Florida, pointing to the state’s robust infrastructure for launches, proximity to private space giants like SpaceX and Blue Origin, and presence of military installations like Patrick Space Force Base and STARCOM.
Cape Canaveral is already a cornerstone of the U.S. space program. It houses NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Port Canaveral. The site has seen increased private-sector investment in recent years, reinforcing its reputation as the nation’s primary launch site and future home for missions to the Moon and Mars.
The proposal also follows former President Donald Trump’s establishment of the U.S. Space Force, headquartered in Florida, which Moody cited as a key reason to centralize the federal space bureaucracy in the state.
“The CAPE Canaveral Act builds on Florida’s legacy in space,” Moody said. “We launched the Apollo missions from here. We can launch the next era of American space leadership from here, too.”
A Boost for the Economy and National Security
Supporters say the move would not only enhance government-private collaboration in aerospace but also deliver major economic benefits to Florida, increasing tourism, research grants, and investment in aerospace education.
According to a recent analysis from Space Florida, relocating NASA HQ could inject billions in economic growth and create thousands of high-skill jobs across the Space Coast.
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“We have the infrastructure, the talent, and the vision,” said Rob Long, President of Space Florida. “It only makes sense that the brain of America’s space program lives where the rockets launch.”
Moody pledged to continue lobbying in Washington to build bipartisan support for the CAPE Canaveral Act.
“We are ready to bring NASA home,” she said. “Florida is not just the Space State — it’s the future of space.”
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