Space Florida

Space Florida is the aerospace economic development agency of the State of Florida. The agency was created by consolidating three existing space entities into a single new organization via the Space Florida Act, enacted in May 2006 by the Florida Legislature. The predecessor entities were the Florida Space Authority, Florida Space Research Institute and Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation.

Space Florida is a "Preferred Partner" of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, and, as such, has offered an addition US$2 million bonus to teams that launch their Google Lunar X PRIZE-winning missions from the state of Florida.

In 2008, Aviation Week magazine reported that the U.S. Air Force committed to lease Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 36 to Space Florida for future use by the Athena III launch system, but that program had not moved forward as late as 2013.

Florida Space Authority was created as a Florida state government space agency by Florida's Governor and Legislature in 1989. The Authority's mission (as authorized in Chapter 331, Part Two, Florida Statutes) was to retain, expand and diversify the state's space-related industry. Chapter 331 gives FSA governmental powers similar to other types of transportation authorities (airport, seaport, etc.) to support and regulate the state's space transportation industry. It was empowered to own, operate, construct, finance, acquire, extend, equip and improve spaceport infrastructure. Florida Space Authority served the state's Governor through the governor's Office of Tourism, Trade, and Economic Development. Development of the space industry. Chapter 331 of the Florida Statutes specifically states that the FSA is not to be considered an "agency", even though it receives funding directly from the state of Florida according to its website.

With the Space Florida Act, enacted in May 2006, the Florida Legislature consolidated FSA, the Florida Space Research Institute, and the Florida Aerospace Finance Corporation to create Space Florida.

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