Aerospace representatives from around the Sunshine State gathered Wednesday in Tallahassee for the annual "Florida Space Day," sharing with legislators about the importance and opportunities the state's $9 billion space industry brings to Florida.
Space leaders met on the third-floor rotunda of the state Capitol, where space industry officials set up various exhibits and displays.
Also being discussed Wednesday were facility upgrades at the Kennedy Space Center, including program initiatives involving NASA's Orion program; and the new heavy lift rocket called the Space Launch System, which will take humans to deep-space destinations.
Florida has nearly 500 aerospace companies employing more than 30,000 workers, making the state the third largest space industry in the country.