Sprinkle list: Space Florida successfully lands remainder of requested funding

Florida from space.

It looks like Space Florida leaders have a lot of reasons to feel over the moon this Session.

The House placed an additional $5 million in operations costs for the economic development agency in its supplemental appropriations, affectionately known as the “sprinkle list.”

That means lobbyists for Space Florida can call the mission for appropriations this Session a complete success.

The agency had already secured $12.5 million in basic funding, meeting its state budget from the prior year, and had secured $6 million for a new finance fund. The $5 million in additional operations was the last star needed to complete this year’s appropriations wish list.

Space Florida is the leading economic development entity in the aerospace arena for Florida, a state with a strong claim as home to the space industry.

The organization has fared well throughout the tenure of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who previously represented a part of the Space Coast while he served in Congress. Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez serves as Board Chair for the organization.

Space Florida’s work has become increasingly high-profile as private sector activity represents a higher share of investment in low-orbit activity.

It has been a banner year for that type of work, culminating most recently in the first successful landing of a private lander on the moon.

Houston-based Intuitive Machines was behind the lander Odysseus, and Florida played a significant role in making this event happen.

The launch occurred from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The camera sent up to the moon was built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.

The rocket that took Odysseus up was made by SpaceX.

Space Florida played a role in ensuring much of the research and investment in that project by private companies took place in the Sunshine State.

The funding wins mark the first major victory during the Session for new Space Florida President and CEO Rob Long.