Drew Dixon
Newly sworn in U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbour Beach Republican, used his first chance to address the House chamber to extoll the space program in his home of Brevard County.
The Representative of Florida’s 8th Congressional District, located on the Space Coast, said he’s thrilled the space program is gaining momentum, with more and more liftoffs from Cape Canaveral. It was his first congressional address in the House since being elected Nov. 5.
“2024 was a record-breaking year for the Space Coast, with 93 successful launches crossing our skies. And, in just the first weeks of 2025, five launches have already taken place, proving that America’s new golden age of spaceflight is well underway,” Haridopolos said.
One of the main reasons Cape Canaveral is so active as of late is due to SpaceX, which is owned by mega-entrepreneur and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Musk was also one of the biggest financial contributors to Donald Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign. Trump appointed Musk to oversee the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Haridopolos, a former member of the Florida Legislature, where he was a leading Republican, was quick to credit Musk’s SpaceX for the space program’s return to prominence.
“This renaissance has been powered by game-changing private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, whose ingenuity has turned spaceflight into a thriving ecosystem of public-private collaboration,” Haridopolos said.
Last week, efforts were also expanded to increase participation in the Florida University Space Consortium. The collaborative is designed to enhance scientific research and exploration from Cape Canaveral involving three colleges in Florida, including 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 on Jan. 8 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.
The plan is to bring even more Florida universities into the program, providing more opportunities for researchers to join in the space studies.
