January 22, 2023

Space Florida Supporting Large Projects Planned Near Spaceport's Landing Facility (Source: Florida Today)
Project Comet is the secretive name given to a private company by Space Florida that wants to build a facility near the former Space Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center. Few details have been released. A preliminary site plan depicts a 104,594-square-foot ‘payload processing facility’ standing 133-feet high, flanked by a badging-security office, a 20,342-square-foot storage building, four office trailers, a parking lot with 71 spaces, and wet and dry retention ponds.

Project Comet is only expected to create ‘at least 50 jobs by 2025,’ Space Florida agenda materials show. So that suggests it’s a smaller-scale operation than a rocket maker. The mystery Project Comet company would be responsible for construction, repairs, renovations, maintenance, utilities, taxes and all operations at its premises. These capital improvements would become the property of Space Florida and get subleased to the company, meeting minutes show.

Meanwhile, a larger confidential Space Florida tenant — Project Oz — plans to invest up to $250 million in construction and equipment at the Launch and Landing Facility. That undisclosed company may generate about 500 jobs by 2025 with average annual salaries of $100,000. Click here. (1/18)