Space Florida approves millions for spaceport infrastructure improvements for “Project Hinton”

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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — This afternoon, Space Florida’s board of directors decided to move forward with recommendations to provide up to $50 million in matching grant funds in partnership with Florida DOT and another $15 million in common use funds to support a plan simply known by the code name “Project Hinton.”

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During Wednesday’s special meeting, Space Florida President & CEO Rob Long said, “This is one of those projects that will be transformative for the region, the state and for America. But more importantly, it’s building upon a foundation that our state and local communities have invested in over the past ten years.”

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The project calls for an investment of $1.8 billion dollars in capital improvements by a still unnamed company that would create 600 jobs with an estimated average annual wage of $93,000.

Dr. Don Platt, an Associate Professor of Space Systems at Florida Tech told WFTV, “I mean, it would make sense that it would be Space X and, or Blue Origin. You know, more than one group can take advantage of infrastructure.”

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The details shared with the public call for the development of a high-volume production facility, high bay, and launch infrastructure at the Cape Canaveral spaceport.

The project will significantly increase the volume and mass of payloads to orbit from Florida.

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