Space Industry Lleaders Meet With Legislators

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACEPORT -- “Florida: Innovation in Space” was the theme for this year's Space Industry Day which was held on March 27, 2003, in Tallahassee. Space Industry Day is an annual event for elected officials that spotlights the contributions of Florida's space businesses and programs and is a forum for discussions on opportunities for future partnerships.

For space industry leaders from around the state, along with officials from KSC/NASA, 45th Space Wing, Florida Space Authority, Florida Space Research Institute and Florida Commercial Space Financing Corp., the day was filled with legislative visits, space-related committee hearings and a meeting with Lt. Governor Toni Jennings. The event concluded with an evening reception for legislators at the newly completed Challenger Learning Center near the state's Capitol. Speakers at the reception included William Readdy, NASA Associate Administrator Office of Space Flight and NASA Astronauts; Roy Bridges, KSC/NASA Center Director; Norm Thagard, Executive Director, Challenger Learning Center; Adrian Laffitte, Director of Atlas Programs for Lockheed Martin; and astronauts Frank Caldeiro and Lee Archambault.