Leaders Meet To Discuss Bridging ‘Space Gap’
BREVARD COUNTY — Dozens of Brevard County economic leaders gathered Wednesday to discuss closing the so-called “Space Gap,” and saving thousands of jobs when the shuttle program ends in 2010.
Approximately 3,500 high-tech jobs are on the chopping block surrounding the soon to be non-existent orbiter program.
The end of the shuttle program also begins a nearly five year gap of the U.S.’s inability to put astronauts in space on its own.
The Space Coast Economic Development Commission has already successfully saved some jobs, but said the group needs to be aggressive to get even more.
“It was highly competitive, highly sought after. Those other states didn’t sit around and want to give away this opportunity, cause that’s the thin edge of the wedge. And once you bring that assembly work in here, there’s other work that can be tied to it,” said Lynda Weatherman from the Space Coast Economic Development Commission.
Leaders are working to get private companies to work out of the Kennedy Space Center, bringing jobs for at-risk space program workers.