By Burt Dicht
NSS Space Coast Correspondent
When we think about space tourism, it is easy to picture private citizens boarding a spacecraft and traveling into space. But here on Florida’s Space Coast, space tourism is already taking many forms, and the opportunities are growing.
That was the focus of The Future of Space & Launch Tourism, a panel discussion hosted by the Institute for Space Tourism on Thursday, August 13, at Zarrella’s Italian and Wood Fired Pizza Restaurant in Cape Canaveral. About 60 space professionals, Space Coast and Port Canaveral officials, and space enthusiasts gathered for the discussion. The event was part of the Institute’s August Space Supper series.
The panel discussion was moderated by John Zarrella (left in photo), owner of JZ Media and former CNN space correspondent. Participants included (left to right) Lynda Weatherman, President and CEO of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast; Dr. Amy Gregory, Chair of Space Tourism at the University of Central Florida; Jim Thomas, co-founder of Karman Line; Luther Andal, Chair of the Space Coast Chamber’s Technology, Aerospace, Aviation and Defense (TAAD) initiative; and Carol Craig, Canaveral Port Authority Commissioner and CEO of Sidus Space and Craig Technologies.
A Changing Space Ecosystem
Craig talked about how much the space ecosystem has changed. It is no longer just NASA and a few large aerospace companies. Commercial space, human spaceflight and space defense are increasingly coming together, and small businesses are playing an important role.
But there are gaps that will need to be addressed as the industry continues to grow. Craig identified advanced manufacturing as one of those gaps and an area that will be increasingly important to the Space Coast.
Andal compared what is happening on the Space Coast to Silicon Valley. Like Silicon Valley, the Space Coast has an enormous concentration of talent and expertise. But he sees one important difference: the Space Coast remains too siloed. Companies, organizations and government agencies need to be better connected. That is one of the goals of the Space Coast Chamber’s TAAD initiative. Andal’s point was simple: connections foster innovation.
He also pointed to a major change in the challenges facing the region. Rockets are no longer necessarily the constraint. Infrastructure and talent are.
The numbers illustrate how quickly things have changed. There were 16 launches from the Space Coast in 2019. In 2025, there were 109. Continued growth will place greater demands on the infrastructure that supports the launch industry, including roads, utilities and wastewater treatment.
Talent is equally important. The Space Coast must continue to attract the people needed to support a growing space industry while also finding ways to retain the talent already here.
Two Spaceports, One Space Coast
Thomas emphasized one of the region’s greatest advantages: Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station essentially provide two spaceports operating side by side.
He noted that about 80 percent of the world’s space payloads are currently launched from the Space Coast. But other spaceports are competing for launch business, and the Space Coast cannot take its position for granted.
Continued investment in infrastructure will be critical, as will cooperation among companies, government agencies and other organizations. Thomas also emphasized that this cannot be just about meeting the needs of space companies. The needs of the surrounding community have to be part of the equation.
Bringing Hospitality Into Space
Gregory brought a different perspective to the discussion. If more people are going to live, work and travel in space, the space industry needs to think about hospitality. Hospitality is about making people comfortable when they are outside their normal environment. In space, that challenge takes on an entirely new dimension.
Gregory discussed “serviceology,” designing experiences that provide hospitality in microgravity. UCF students are already exploring some of these questions and are involved in sending three food-based experiments to the International Space Station.
She also pointed out that hospitality professionals on Earth tend to be highly specialized. That will not necessarily work in space. People providing those services will need to be cross-trained and capable of performing multiple roles.
There is also an opportunity for space companies and hospitality experts to work more closely together. Space companies know how to put people and equipment into space. Hospitality professionals understand how to make people comfortable once they get there.
As access to space expands, the people traveling there will not all be professional astronauts. There will be researchers, workers, travelers and tourists. Getting people into space is only part of the challenge. We also need to think about their experience once they arrive.
Building a Space Coast Ecosystem
Weatherman offered an interesting historical comparison for what the Space Coast could become. She pointed to London in the 17th century, when the city developed into a center for shipping and exploration. Its success was not based simply on ships. London created a nexus of shipping, finance, transportation, insurance and legal resources that supported its maritime activities.
She suggested that the Space Coast could follow a similar model, bringing together the many industries and services needed to support a growing space economy.
Andal took that idea a step further, suggesting that the Space Coast could become the capital of the space launch economy. Getting there, however, will require greater cooperation among companies, government, organizations and the community.
Weatherman believes the Space Coast’s infrastructure is highly scalable, but emphasized that growth must balance the needs of the space industry with those of the people who live here.
Turning Launch Visitors Into Space Coast Visitors
The potential for launch tourism is already clear. Nearly 400,000 people descended on the Space Coast to witness the launch of Artemis II. A major launch can fill hotels, restaurants, beaches and viewing areas throughout the region.
But how do we turn those launch spectators into visitors who stay and experience more of the Space Coast?
The panel discussed ways to create a more engaging space tourism experience. Could commercial space companies offer behind-the-scenes tours that give visitors a closer look at the growing industry? Could cruise lines become more involved in introducing their passengers to the region’s space attractions?
Port Canaveral brings about 25,000 cruise passengers through the area each day. That represents an enormous potential audience. And the story goes well beyond Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The Space Coast has historic launch sites, museums, commercial space companies, active launch facilities and more than seven decades of space history. Connecting more of those assets could give visitors a reason to stay longer and see more of what makes this region unique.
The Opportunity Ahead
The panelists approached the future from different perspectives, but their comments pointed in the same direction.
The Space Coast has extraordinary assets and an opportunity to continue its preeminence as a spaceport while becoming a destination for a new generation of space tourists. But its success will depend on more than the number of rockets leaving the launch pads.
It will depend on the infrastructure and people that support those launches, stronger connections across the region, and new ways of engaging the millions of visitors who already come to the Space Coast.
The Space Coast has been at the center of America’s space program for more than 75 years. The opportunity now is to build on that legacy and make the Space Coast not only a place where we launch into space, but a place where people can come to experience the future of space.
