WATCH: Gov. Ron DeSantis Proposes NASA Headquarters Relocation From Washington DC to Florida’s Space Coast

DESANTIS: Funds allocated for a new building in the nation’s capital could be better invested in Florida

WATCH: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers remarks about Florida’s space industry and role in U.S. space research, announcing the Florida University Space Research Consortium and relocating NASA’s headquarters to Kennedy Space Center. (Forbes Breaking News video)

The potential relocation of NASA headquarters represents an ambitious move to consolidate the agency’s operations while reinforcing Brevard County’s status as the epicenter of American space exploration.

BREVARD COUNTY • KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLORIDA — Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested relocating NASA’s headquarters to Kennedy Space Center, the heart of the U.S. space launch industry, during the Florida University Space Research Consortium at the Kennedy Space Center.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made the announcement during the Consortium, a groundbreaking partnership between Kennedy Space Center and three of the state’s top universities, including the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

During the event at KSC on Wednesday, DeSantis made a compelling case for the move, citing cost savings and operational efficiency.

“There is an interest in moving the headquarters of NASA right here to Kennedy Space Center, and I’m supportive of that,” said DeSantis.

Criticizing the underutilization of NASA’s current headquarters in Washington, D.C., DeSantis suggested that funds allocated for a new building in the nation’s capital could be better invested in Florida, where NASA’s core activities take place.

“They have this massive building in Washington, D.C., and nobody goes to it,” said DeSantis. “So, why not just shutter it and move everybody down here? I think they’re planning on spending like a half a billion to build a new building up in D.C. that no one will ever go to.

“So hopefully, with the new administration coming in, they’ll see a great opportunity to just headquarter NASA here on the Space Coast of Florida. I think that’d be very, very fitting,” said DeSantis.

Relocating NASA’s headquarters has garnered support from local space industry leaders. Rob Long, President and CEO of Space Florida, said the move “makes a lot of sense,” given Kennedy Space Center’s primary role in nearly all NASA missions.

“Every NASA program that goes into space—except probably a handful of exceptions—has to come through KSC anyway. Why not move the headquarters here?” Long remarked, highlighting the region’s growing prominence in the aerospace sector.

Brevard County has already been a magnet for military and civilian space operations. The Space Force recently announced the relocation of its Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) from Colorado to Patrick Space Force Base, bringing hundreds of new jobs to the region.

The Florida University Space Research Consortium, still in its formative stage, is expected to grow rapidly, with additional universities joining in the coming months. Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who chairs the Space Florida board, projected the group would drive innovation and workforce development for years to come.

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