Aerospace in Florida

This essay centers on the Florida Space Authority agency, which encouraged Florida’s aerospace industry to grow.

Three institutes were brought together to make a single entity that was given the name Space Florida. Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation, Florida Space Authority, and Florida Space Research Institute were forerunner organizations. The Florida Space Authority agency’s history, purpose, and financing sources are covered in the essay.

Florida Space Authority Agency’s Mission and Responsibilities

Through Chapter 331, Part 2, the Florida Legislature and Governor established the Florida Space Authority, which at the time was the state government’s space organization. The agency mission was to diversify, retain, and expand the space industry of Florida State and was given authorities similar to other organization by the government, enabling the agency to provide excellent and efficient transportation industry of the state in space. Florida Space Agency responsibility was to acquire, own, equip, extend, and develop the space infrastructure by the state Statutes. It also aided in governor’s office of Economic Development, Tourism, and Trade. Florida Statutes chapter 331 states that the Florida Space Agency is not regarded as agency despite receiving funds from Florida State.

Formation of Space Florida

In May 2006, Space Florida was formed through the combination of three agencies, namely, Florida Space Research Institute, Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation, and Florida Space Authority through the enactment of the newly created agency act (Miller, 2016). In 2012, Space Florida hosted Space Florida International Space Station Research Competition in partnership with NanoRacks which involved competitions of fly scientific research payloads, and it incurred the overall cost of the game. The primary competition purpose was to improve customer access to space stations and to motivate individuals.

Challenges and Achievements

In July 2014, Space Florida started searching for the alternatives for a big piece of land after facing a lot of challenges in resettling in Shiloh location from different groups such as environmental groups and others. They were searching for sites that could be large enough to be able to accommodate their various activities. Space Florida negotiated with Air Force to be given some sections of the Air Force significant portion of land. Later, in September 2015, they achieved their efforts of the opening of different locations of Space Florida spaceport, and Blue Origin was to manufacture their orbital vehicle to be used in space exploration and launching the rocket from Launch Complex. Recently, they partnered with NASA.

Mission and Funding Sources

Mission

Space Florida Agency was created with the aim of accomplishing its mission, vision, and a variety of goals, roles, and objectives. The primary mission of Space Florida Agency is to ensure that there is a global economic development of aerospace. Its original vision is to be the leader of future development of aerospace enterprises through making and expanding good business environments and ensuring a vigorous growth of Florida’s economy. The following are some of the aims and responsibilities of Space Florida Agency which they have accomplished. It has contributed to the development of related infrastructure and facilities. Space Florida also hosts, conducts, and arranges the educational services plus conducting space-based research programs and recommending quality skills and workforce training for aerospace. In addition, it has invested in innovations and assisting different commercial activities which could enable the agency to be up to date with the current technologies (Smith & Morgan, 2006). The organization has helped different new space entrepreneurs and researchers who are entering into the space business. Lastly, they have collaborated with various private and public learning institutions and commercial organizations for economic development assistance throughout the state.

Funding Sources

Grants are financial assistance given to local government agencies, the non-profit organization, individuals and organizations which are issued by United States government. They are released to aid in carrying out essential researches and innovations. They can also be published by private non-profit organizations, and they cannot be issued to acquire properties for the federal government. Grants are categorized into different categories such as categorical, project, formula, block and earmark grants (United States Government Accountability Office, 2015).

Space Florida agency has different sources of financial funds. The company receives the grants from Florida State government which is issued by the United States government, and they also received funds from wealthy donors to facilitate them in essential aerospace researchers. They earn interest on the money they had lent to new and emerging aerospace organizations to promote their growth and development. The Space Florida also receive money income from their daily business activities of building spaceships, tools, and equipment and selling them to other organizations. They even receive the rewards from the Unites State government after accomplishing certain aerospace inventions and tasks. Finally, they receive money and rewards after winning different national and international prizes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Space Florida has dramatically facilitated the growth and development of the space industries in the United States through different invention and innovations such as SpaceX and XCOR. It has encouraged emergence, growth, and development of various aerospace companies through financial aid support. It has resulted in economic growth and development of Florida State through its significant amount of revenues it generates annually and employing a majority of the Florida citizens. Lastly, it has encouraged a lot of aerospace discoveries, inventions and researchers among individuals through carrying out different space competitions where winners are awarded good reward. It is true that Space Florida has brought a renaissance in aerospace space science through various inventions and discoveries and encouraged the establishment, growth, and development of other aerospace-related companies.

References

Miller, R. (2016). Abandoned in place: Preserving America’s space history. Albuquerque, NM: UNM Press.

Smith, M.S., & Morgan, D. (2006). Crs report for Congress: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Fy2006 budget request: Description, analysis, and issues for Congress. Washington, DC: The Library of Congress.

United States Government Accountability Office. (2015). Pay for success: Collaboration among federal agencies would be helpful as governments explore new financing mechanisms. Washington, DC: United States Government Accountability Office.