Boeing to launch spacecraft production in Florida, create 550 jobs by 2015

Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday that Boeing will locate its Commercial Crew program headquarters at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. According to a press release issued by Scott’s office, “Boeing will manufacture and test its Crew Space Transportation” spacecraft and expects to create 140 jobs by June 2013 and 550 by December 2015.

The Miami Herald reports that, ”since 2009, more than 4,000 space jobs have been lost in the Cape Canaveral area as NASA closed out the space shuttle program.”

Enterprise Florida — a private-public partnership that supports Florida businesses — explains that “Florida ranks 2nd among states for aviation, aerospace, and space establishments, with nearly 2,000 aviation and aerospace companies employing some 83,800 workers.” According to Enterprise, this includes almost every major defense contractor, the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and many U.S. military installations.

Accoridng to Space Florida, the state’s aerospace development organization, its partnership with Boeing will modernize Kennedy Space Center facilities to “provide efficient production and testing operations that optimize the company’s best practices from satellite manufacturing, space launch vehicles and commercial airplane production programs.”

The release from the governor’s office adds that Boeing will partner with, “NASA, Space Florida, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Enterprise Florida, the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners and Brevard Workforce.”