'Florida's got a great shot': Push begins to bring NASA headquarters to Space Coast

USA Today

10-02-2025

'Florida's got a great shot': Push begins to bring NASA headquarters to Space Coast
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Haridopolos discusses Chinese threat to U.S. space interests
FLORIDA TODAY's John A. Torres discusses a variety of topics with Mike Haridopolos, the Republican representing Florida's 8th Congressional district.
U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos wants to move NASA headquarters out of its underutilized, leased building in Washington, D.C. — and he hopes to help convince President Donald Trump to bring it to Florida's Kennedy Space Center instead of potential contending states like Alabama and Texas.
The week after Trump won the November election, NASA issued a press release saying it seeks options for a future headquarters building. The lease at Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters expires in August 2028.
This building in the nation's capital has 545,731 usable square feet — but that space was only about 15% occupied during 2023 amid the post-pandemic work environment, according to a Public Buildings Reform Board interim report to Congress.
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"As a Floridian — and as the president is a Floridian — I'd love to have the NASA headquarters here at KSC. But it's one step at a time. And I think we need to make the best pitch for the (return on investment) and the effectiveness of it," Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican, said during an interview in his Viera district office.
"And talk to not just NASA — but remember, more and more, NASA and commercial space are being tied together. The people that are making our space operations so successful, we want to get their input as well before we make this big decision," Haridopolos said.
"You're talking about at least a half-a-billion-dollar building where NASA operates out of. The smart thing to do is to ask the people who are actually the boots on the ground — or in this case, the rockets taking off — of their opinion. And I'm optimistic that Florida's got a great shot to get that headquarters," he said.
In its Nov. 14 press release, NASA officials said they were searching for a new headquarters with about 375,000 to 525,000 square feet of office space in Washington or the immediate surrounding area.
"The NASA Headquarters building lease is up in 2028, and the agency continues to work through options," KSC News Chief Patti Bielling said in a Tuesday email.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made headlines last month when he called for NASA headquarters to move to KSC during a press conference. Late last month, Haridopolos was appointed chair of the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, which is tasked with overseeing America's space policy and programs.
Longtime Space Coast resident Bill Nelson stepped down as NASA administrator last month, and Trump appointee and Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman awaits confirmation to replace him.
"It's a two-phased fight. First phase is, we need to make sure that the NASA headquarters is taken out of Washington, D.C. There is no need to have those headquarters in Washington, D.C. The action is taking place primarily here in Florida," Haridopolos said.
"The closer we are to the action, the more effective the agency's going to be," he said.
How would moving headquarters impact NASA?
Don Platt, director of the Florida Institute of Technology's Spaceport Education Center in Titusville, questioned the strategic effectiveness of moving NASA's headquarters to the Space Coast.
Why? He said NASA's interesting and important work happens at technical sites like KSC, Johnson Space Center in Texas, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California — while the Washington, D.C., headquarters are populated by "bean counters" and "policy wonks, if you will."
"I think that a key for any government agency is the ability to interact with their funding source, and that's Congress. And I'm not sure that being located in Florida would really enable that key element of NASA's requirements," Platt said.
"Congress holds the purse strings. And so, it's much easier to just run up to Capitol Hill when you need to try to lobby for more NASA funding, for instance, than being here in Florida and having to fly up there all the time," he said.
Platt said the influx of jobs would benefit the Space Coast, and the addition of NASA's command post would help cement Florida's status as "the space state." But he questioned the nationwide impact across the agency.
"I'm not sure that being isolated in one state is really the best for the ability for NASA to make sure that other important states — related states such as Alabama, Virginia, Texas, California — are supporting the mission as well. And so, I think there are some concerns there," Platt said.
"I'm sure that Florida would offer some impressive incentives for headquarters to come here. But I think overall, for the vision and mission of NASA, I'm not sure that it's really the best fit for them," he said.
Elsewhere in Florida, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-St. Petersburg, wrote a Jan. 22 letter to Trump supporting the relocation of NASA's headquarters to Florida's Space Coast.
Writing the move "would offer significant strategic, economic, and logistical advantages to NASA and the United States," Luna cited major private space industry players like SpaceX, Blue Origin and Boeing.
"Additionally, the presence of the U.S. Space Force in Florida presents a unique opportunity for NASA to collaborate more closely with military space operations. Such proximity would enhance coordination on key projects like satellite technology, national security space initiatives, and advanced space exploration missions," Luna's letter said.
"By co-locating NASA with the Space Force, the two agencies could share resources, streamline operations, and increase efficiency in both military and civilian space programs," the letter said.
NASA HQ move draws laughter during SpaceCom
SpaceCom, a major annual industry conference, took place late last month at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. During a Jan. 30 panel discussion on public-private partnerships, the No. 1 question submitted by audience members dealt with NASA headquarters relocating to Florida.
Jonathan Baker, chief of spaceport development at Kennedy Space Center, was placed on the spot and asked to reply as the agency's lone representative on stage — drawing smiles and laughter from the crowd.
"We're focused on exploration and innovation. And so, we want to enable that in whatever way possible, right? So however the agency deems best to accomplish that here at KSC, we're ready and on board to support that," Baker replied.
"Whether that means a move for headquarters or not, we are ready to support whatever the agency needs to move forward," he said.
"Excellent answer," said panel moderator Kevin Brown, eliciting more laughs. He is senior vice president of business development with All Points Logistics on Merritt Island.
"I mean, it would make a lot of sense to move NASA headquarters to Kennedy Space Center. Just saying," Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long, a fellow panelist, said in return.
Palm Bay leaders invite NASA to their city
The Palm Bay City Council unanimously approved a resolution Jan. 16 supporting Brevard County as a permanent location for NASA headquarters, Space Force command or similar agencies.
Specifically, the resolution supported expanded governmental use of the Space Force Malabar Transmitter Annex, citing the economic impact of high-skill, high-paying jobs. Military personnel occasionally conduct training at this 462-acre facility, a former U.S. Navy airfield controlled by Space Launch Delta 45.
"We have a giant chunk of federal land, right off Minton Road, that is very sparsely used," Councilman Chandler Langevin said during that brief discussion.
"That could be very easily converted into a federal building or an expansion of the Space Force. I just wanted to pass this resolution to send up to our congressman and our federal lobbyist to let them know in Washington, D.C., that we are on the menu," he said.
The resolution was seconded by Mayor Rob Medina, who works as a case manager in Haridopolos' office.
NASA HQ mentioned during county wastewater discussion
Brevard County Commissioner Thad Altman also raised the topic during the county commission's discussion on $130 million in potential Space Florida upgrades to boost capacity at the Sykes Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility on Merritt Island to accommodate commercial space industry growth.
"I would assume that we did include the possibility of NASA moving its headquarters to Kennedy Space Center. Would that growth be included in these numbers?" Commissioner Thad Altman asked during the Jan. 28 discussion.
The wastewater expansion project could accommodate NASA's headquarters, replied Dale Ketcham, Space Florida vice president of government and external relations.
"We can adjust for that. We are pursuing that, as per the governor's directive. We were looking at that even in advance," Ketcham said.
Altman is president and CEO of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The spaceport project would increase the Merritt Island wastewater facility's treatment capacity by 300,000 gallons per day by 2027 and 700,000 gallons per day by 2034.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [e-mail]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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