Senator Ashley Moody is pushing for NASA to move its headquarters from Washington to Florida, where many historic launches have taken place. The move is part of her effort to bring stakeholders together, but NASA does not seem to be ready to relocate just yet.
In a bid to consolidate aerospace programs efficiently at Canaveral, Senator Ashley Moody introduced the CAPE Canaveral Act on March 13. This act aims to have NASA’s headquarters located near Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and the busy spaceport along Florida’s coastline, which is known for launching human beings into orbit, the International Space Station, and beyond.
Senator Moody emphasized Florida’s leadership in space exploration and aerospace innovation, stating that establishing NASA’s headquarters on the space coast would help bridge the bureaucratic gap and promote collaboration among stakeholders.
The bill was co-sponsored by Senator Rick Scott and has garnered support from Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez. Senator Moody, who was appointed to the Senate by Governor Ron DeSantis, sees the CAPE Canaveral Act as a key initiative early in her term, especially as private companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin expand their presence in the area.
SpaceX, for example, is gearing up to launch Crew-10 to the ISS, while Blue Origin recently launched its New Glenn rocket from Launch Pad 36. The Space Florida agency has been instrumental in developing Florida’s space economy and is expected to play a crucial role in this proposed headquarters relocation.
Senator Moody believes that moving NASA’s headquarters to Florida would not only save taxpayers money but also foster collaboration with private space companies and leverage the state’s talented workforce for further innovation.
Despite the push for relocation, NASA has clarified that it is not currently planning to move its headquarters. According to a spokesperson, the agency’s headquarters building lease is set to expire in 2028, and NASA is exploring options for leasing a new facility in the Washington area. Additionally, NASA employees have returned to full-time onsite work as of February 28, in compliance with an Executive Order.
