Boeing Moving 'Space And Launch' Division to Florida's Space Coast
CAPE CANAVERAL (CBSMiami) - The state's Space Coast will soon be the home of Boeing's 'Space and Launch' division.
The company has announced that it will be moving the division's headquarters, which is currently in Arlington, Virginia, to Titusville.
"Looking to the future, this storied Florida space community will be the center of gravity for Boeing's space programs as we continue to build our company's leadership beyond gravity," said Boeing Defense, Space & Security President and Chief Executive Officer Leanne Caret. "The time is right for us to locate our space headquarters where so much of our space history was made over the past six decades and where so much history awaits."
In announcing the relocation of the headquarters to a region that includes Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base, Boeing leaders said the timing of the move makes sense for multiple reasons.
The Boeing-built X-37B uncrewed, reusable space vehicle continues to perform record-setting, long-duration missions for the U.S. Air Force. Boeing's satellite programs anticipate increased tempo in local payload processing and launch activity.
The company is also enhancing its focus on mission integration and launch system operations in collaboration with Air Force partners nearby at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base.
The CST-100 Starliner commercial spacecraft is preparing for two flight tests later this year ahead of operational missions to the International Space Station beginning in 2020.
"Boeing has been a dominant presence on the Space Coast for six decades, and this move represents a continuation of that legacy and future commitment," said Jim Chilton, senior vice president of Space and Launch. "Expanding our Boeing presence on the Space Coast brings tremendous value for our commercial and government space programs through focused leadership, strategic investment, customer proximity and additional contributions to the vitality of the region."
The headquarters move will have no impact on Boeing's space operations in other states, including California, Texas, Alabama, Colorado, and Louisiana.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)