Recognizing the Kennedy Space Center

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the John F. Kennedy Space Center--KSC--for celebrating its 60th anniversary, which we observed on July 1, 2022. While the complex was not named after President Kennedy until November 29, 1963, it was on July 1 six decades ago that the launch operations center on Merritt Island, FL, was created.

Since the Apollo program in 1968, every U.S. crewed orbital spaceflight has launched from the Kennedy Space Center property, making it the unambiguous leader in American spaceflight. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration--NASA--has carried out launch operations for its Apollo, Skylab, and space shuttle programs from Launch Complex 39, managed by KSC's personnel. For the past 60 years, millions of Americans have visited the area to watch astronauts slip the face of Earth and explore the final frontier.

After the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, the Kennedy Space Center transformed from a government-focused launch base to a multi-user spaceport. Today, it provides a home to more than 90 private-sector partners and nearly 250 partnership agreements in support of different vehicles, systems, and launch providers, enabling a new era of space exploration. The Kennedy Space Center further contributes to our Nation's space program through the Exploration Ground Systems, as well as the Commercial Crew, Exploration Research and Technology, and Launch Services Programs.

As NASA prepares for the launch of Artemis I at KSC, the center remains a cornerstone of Florida's economy by employing thousands of civil servants and government contractors throughout the State's Space Coast.

I express my thanks and deepest gratitude to the many hard-working men and women at the Kennedy Space Center as they continue to advance American space exploration further into the 21st century.

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