Florida boasts the most active and advanced spaceport in the world, and its state leaders would like to keep it that way for generations to come.
Space Florida (SF), a government-run organization dedicated to building the space industry in the Sunshine State, recently announced its plan to launch an educational program to inspire and gear little Floridians toward a career in those skyward fields.
“The Space Academy is our initiative to cultivate the next generation of aerospace talent, providing a pathway to skills that can translate to aerospace and aviation, advanced manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity, and logistics—each beating direct relevance to the aerospace sector’s demands.”
In order to pave the way for this initiative, SF spokesperson Anna Farrar told The Epoch Times that “Space Florida has brought together the world’s leading aerospace employers, suppliers, and education and training experts to create a master credentials list that spans the entire educational system—from secondary education to postsecondary institutions.”
More specific details remain unclear as of Nov. 6, but Ms. Farrar that the agency has set the goal to roll out the Space Academy in partnership with the Department of Education.
Space Florida President and CEO Robert Long spoke about the initiative to kids and parents of Merritt Island, Florida, on Nov. 6.
“The work we are doing to support Florida’s talent supply chain is underpinned by invaluable aerospace and education experts and as part of Space Florida’s commitment to fortify the talent pipeline that is essential for the continued growth and success of Florida’s Space,” he said.
“By the aspirations of industry leaders in education and training experts, we’ve created a blueprint for success, ensuring that we solidified Florida’s standing as a premier global and interplanetary hub for aerospace commerce.”
Mr. Long made his remarks at the awards ceremony for Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez’s Florida Space Art Contest, the winners of which, she said, will get their drawings or paintings sent to space on a SpaceX rocket.
“It’s no secret that Florida is the premier destination for all things space,” she said in her opening remarks. “I have the privilege of serving as chair [of] space directors, and we work hard every day to make sure that we can maintain that status.
“And so the commitment from our board is to ensure that [Florida] remains the global aerospace hub and continues to serve as a gateway to space, and there’s a reason that Florida is the premier destination for all things space.”
Ms. Nunez described the space art contest as one of her favorite initiatives because of how it turns kids’ eyes to space and the other things that come with the space industry.
“I think it’s important,” she said, “to expose our students to the space industry as a whole to have an opportunity to view space not just as a distant galaxy but as a potential future career.”
Home to the world-famous Kennedy Space Center, Florida has been America’s primary launching point for spacefaring missions and its only spaceport for human spaceflights to Earth orbit and beyond.
Its Launch Complex 39-B will be where the next humans will depart for the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II mission (launch currently targeted for November 2024).
The next launch scheduled is a commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station operated by SpaceX.
Liftoff is set for 8:28 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 9.
