THE BILL ITSELF
SR 1780
Space Day
Florida Senate - 2026 (NP) SR 1780 By Senator Wright 8-02178-26 20261780__
1
Senate Resolution
2
A resolution designating February 3, 2026, as “Space
3
Day” in Florida.
5
WHEREAS, Florida has been known as the birthplace of
6
American space exploration since the first space launch from its
7
shores more than 75 years ago, is home to the nation’s space
8
program, and has served as a portal to remarkable scientific
9
innovation and imagination, and
10
WHEREAS, Florida continues to play a critical role in
11
pioneering new frontiers in spaceflight as well as leading in
12
the discovery of viable pathways into space, and
13
WHEREAS, more than 144,500 Floridians work in Florida’s
14
aviation and aerospace industries as rocket scientists,
15
machinists, pilots, engineers, and other important roles, and
16
WHEREAS, Florida recorded a record-breaking 109 orbital
17
rocket launches from the Space Coast in 2025, transporting more
18
than 2,100 payloads, and
19
WHEREAS, Florida has long been the world’s gateway to space
20
and continues to be the epicenter of innovation, opportunity,
21
and economic expansion in the aerospace industry with its three
22
spaceports solidifying the state’s advantage, and
23
WHEREAS, the nation is witnessing the rapid growth and
24
expansion of its commercial space transportation industry and,
25
during the next decade, Florida has the opportunity to broaden
26
its leadership in civilian and military launch activity, while
27
also emerging as the nation’s leader in commercial space
28
opportunities and the integration of space, aeronautics, and
29
aviation technologies, including hypersonic technologies, a
30
vision that, if realized, will position Florida for sustained
31
economic growth and prosperity for decades to come, and
32
WHEREAS, Florida’s top-tier universities prepare future
33
leaders and engineers for the aerospace and defense ecosystems,
34
cultivating a world-class workforce for these highly technical
35
fields and sending more than 4,800 engineering graduates into
36
the workforce annually, and
37
WHEREAS, with robust military installations that include
38
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast
39
Guard bases, Florida’s aviation and aerospace industries play a
40
key role in national defense, flight training, and research, and
41
it is the only state with three distinct combatant commands
42
supporting national security missions across the globe, NOW,
43
THEREFORE,
45
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida:
47
That February 3, 2026, is designated as “Space Day” in
48
Florida.