A task force appointed by President Barack Obama to figure out ways to preserve the relationship between Florida’s Space Coast region and the space industry is asking for comments.
The Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development said Thursday that it has launched an interactive website to get public comment on ways to promote economic growth in the area as it deals with changes in the space program.
“This tool and our other outreach efforts will help the task force prepare recommendations for the president that reflect the greatest needs and concerns of both the public and the area’s aerospace-related industries,” said Woodrow Whitlow, NASA’s associate administrator for the Mission Support Directorate in Washington.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke are co-chairing the task force.
“President Obama is committed to helping Florida’s Space Coast adapt and thrive in the years ahead,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John Fernandez.
Among its charges is figuring out the best way to spend the $40 million in federal money Obama included in his 2011 budget request for helping the Space Coast adapt.
The task force plans to present its plan to the president by Aug. 15. The task force is taking public comment at http://www.nasa.gov/spacecoasttaskforce
The News Service of Florida
