Congressman Mike Haridopolos Calls Blue Origin Factory on Merritt Island a ‘Career Engine’ for Florida’s Space Coast

Haridopolos chairs the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – Rep. Mike Haridopolos toured Blue Origin’s rocket factory on Merritt Island Friday, calling the sprawling facility a symbol of Florida’s economic growth and America’s renewed push into space.

The congressman, who chairs the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, walked through sections of the 750,000-square-foot campus where Blue Origin is building its New Glenn rockets.

He said the factory shows how far the Space Coast has come since the end of the shuttle era.

“Just a few years ago, this was barren pasture,” Haridopolos said. “Billions of dollars have been invested — 4,000 jobs and more to come. America is on a great comeback, and it’s because we’re thinking outside the box.”

Blue Origin employs thousands at the Merritt Island site and has plans to expand further. The company is preparing for lunar lander production that could add 1,500 to 2,000 more jobs in the coming years.

Haridopolos framed the facility as more than just another manufacturing plant. “This isn’t just a job site — it’s a career engine,” he said.

He added that the opportunities created here could help keep young professionals in Florida.

“We want our kids to grow up here, go to school here, and then have careers right here on the Space Coast,” Haridopolos said. “That’s what facilities like this are all about.”

Much of the growth has been fueled by NASA contracts and partnerships with Space Florida. Haridopolos said the model is proof that government and industry can work together to grow the economy and strengthen the nation’s space program.

“This is a public-private partnership that is creating these jobs and improving our lives,” he said.

He also pointed to the collaboration as critical for U.S. competitiveness.

“If we’re going to stay ahead of China and Russia in space, this is how we do it — through innovation and teamwork,” Haridopolos said.

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Key Role in Supporting Artemis

Blue Origin’s rockets and lunar lander are expected to play a key role in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade.

“We’re confident that once Artemis II is successful, Artemis III will follow — putting astronauts back on the moon and winning the space race,” Haridopolos said.

He added that the program is not only about exploration but also about American leadership.

“Space is the new frontier of global competition,” Haridopolos said. “If we lead here, we lead everywhere else.”

The tour highlighted the Space Coast’s turnaround since the shuttle’s retirement in 2011, when thousands of jobs were lost. Today, the region is home to booming aerospace activity led by Blue Origin, SpaceX, and other commercial launch companies.

“This is the rebirth of the space industry, and I think it brings a smile to all our faces,” Haridopolos said.

He closed his tour with optimism about Florida’s role in shaping the future.

“We’re building not just rockets here — we’re building futures,” Haridopolos said. “The next generation of explorers, engineers, and innovators will look back and say this is where it all began.”

Blue Origin is preparing for its next New Glenn launch in the coming months. Company leaders say the rocket will eventually support both commercial payloads and NASA missions.

Haridopolos left the tour upbeat, saying the factory is proof that Florida is once again at the center of America’s space ambitions.

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