Congresswoman calls for moving NASA headquarters to Florida
Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) has now publicly repeated Governor Ron DeSantis’ call to move NASA’s main headquarters from Washington to Florida, doing so by sending Trump a letter noting the reasons why such a move make sense.
“I write to you in support of relocating NASA’s Headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Florida’s Space Coast,” Luna wrote. “While Washington, D.C., has historically been the home of NASA’s headquarters, the rapidly evolving space landscape demands a more integrated and efficient approach to space policy. Florida’s Space Coast, home to key facilities like the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is uniquely positioned to support this transformation and strengthen America’s leadership in space exploration.”
The lease for NASA’s headquarters building expires in 2028. The agency has already put out a request for proposals for building a new building from scratch, at great cost. I suspect that expensive project is about to die, and the lease expiration will provide the Trump administration and Congress the motive for reducing staffing at headquarters most significantly, as well as moving it elsewhere.
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Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida) has now publicly repeated Governor Ron DeSantis’ call to move NASA’s main headquarters from Washington to Florida, doing so by sending Trump a letter noting the reasons why such a move make sense.
“I write to you in support of relocating NASA’s Headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Florida’s Space Coast,” Luna wrote. “While Washington, D.C., has historically been the home of NASA’s headquarters, the rapidly evolving space landscape demands a more integrated and efficient approach to space policy. Florida’s Space Coast, home to key facilities like the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is uniquely positioned to support this transformation and strengthen America’s leadership in space exploration.”
The lease for NASA’s headquarters building expires in 2028. The agency has already put out a request for proposals for building a new building from scratch, at great cost. I suspect that expensive project is about to die, and the lease expiration will provide the Trump administration and Congress the motive for reducing staffing at headquarters most significantly, as well as moving it elsewhere.
Readers!
Every February I run a fund-raising drive during my birthday month. This year I celebrate my 72nd birthday, and hope and plan to continue writing and posting on Behind the Black for as long as I am able.
I hope my readers will support this effort. As I did in my November fund-raising drive, I am offering autographed copies of my books for large donations. Donate $250 and you can have a choice of the hardback of either Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8 or Conscious Choice: The origins of slavery in America and why it matters today and for our future in outer space. Donate $200 and you can get an autographed paperback copy of either. IMPORTANT! If you donate enough to get a book, please email me separately to tell me which book you want and the address to mail it to.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
I don’t know about moving to Florida because NASA is more than just KSC. NASA should be getting out of the launching business completely so an HQ down there would be useless.
I would suggest that if its not DC then look at one of the other centers like Goddard or Houston. Goddard might be nice since its close to but not in DC.
Goddard is full of Green who likely hate Musk and Trump both.
NASA HQ has to stay where it is–otherwise, it will be called Florida pork.
With the way that our govt. likes to spend money – Build a new facility HQ in Florida. If it doesn’t work out after 10 years or so, build a new HQ in the DC area. We all learn from our mistakes (unless you work for our federal govt. of course)
Just rent some office space. There’s plenty available.
Patrick Underwood: Whether or not NASA headquarters moves, I guarantee that Trump is not going to approve construction for billions of a big new office building. Staffing will be reduced significantly, and operations moved to leased space.
Is there — should there be — something like a “Project 2025” for NASA that will spell out what kind or role it is supposed to play in the future*, or will DOGE simply propose making piecemeal budget cuts without any kind of coherent vision of what, exactly, the agency is supposed to “do” in the future?
*Per some of Robert’s recent comments.
*Where* NASA’s headquarters is located would seem to be the least of our worries.
Hello Bob, Patrick,
It strikes me that NASA literally just built a fancy new 200,000sqft, 8 story headquarters building at KSC. And it also strikes me that if you’re winding down SLS, you’re surely gonna be able to find some room to move the NASA HQ personnel you are shifting.
Seriously, though, there’s something like 700 buildings at KSC, and there’s already under-utilization even before we start whacking programs. Some are not in great shape, but there are real possibilities in terms of floor space, without having to shell out for some giant new office block.
Richard M: You make me think that maybe Goddard’s operations could be shifted to Kennedy as well.
I’d feel a bit badly for my next door neighbor, a nice fellow who works at Goddard and just bought the house…
But yes, NASA has a footprint of facilities it built up in more well-funded times. It can’t maintain them all, as we all know. Something has to give — and we just hope it isn’t Congress *giving* more funding purely out of parochial interests.
I would like to see a very small office stay in DC just for public affairs and keeping in close contact with politicians.
Then that they can take over any other office space already built in either Houston or Florida. Maybe more the relevant office workers to each facility.