Drew Dixon
A new “Space Consortium” in the Sunshine State will feature extensive and expanding higher-education involvement.
The collaborative will be titled the Florida University Space Consortium, as originally proposed in November. The initial phases of the consortium will involve experts from three Florida colleges including the University of Central Florida (UCF), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University of Florida and the University of Florida (UF).
Research leaders from those institutions joined forces with NASA leaders to sign into effect the consortium Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center. The technology partnership that results will commit to advance research, technology development, education and communication between the spaceport facilities and the increasingly expanding space industry in Florida.
“Florida’s universities have long been prodigious sources of talent, skill and audacious thinking,” said Mori Hosseini, Chair of UF’s Board of Trustees. “This consortium is a perfect way to harness those assets to help lift the great state of Florida and our nation in their quest to keep us at the forefront of space exploration and advance America’s global leadership.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis also made it clear Wednesday that he’s angling to see NASA headquarters located in the Sunshine State.
The Space Consortium agreement promises a “new era of cooperation” between Florida’s universities and the spaceport in the state, a UF news release said. Ultimately, the initial consortium is designed to serve as a springboard for an invitation for other colleges and universities from across Florida to join the effort and increase collaboration with NASA and researchers on different campuses.
“This agreement is a shining example of what it looks like when we link arms and create a space for the whole to be greater than all our parts,” said Janet Petro, Kennedy Space Center Director and a signatory on the agreement.
“This symbiotic partnership makes way for collaborative research opportunities and increased exposure to advanced technology, significantly enhancing NASA’s research output in fields such as aerospace engineering, materials science, robotics, and environmental science, all of which are necessary for long-term human exploration as we learn to live and work deeper into space than ever before.”
