Source: Orlando Sentinel
Under pressure from Congress and space boosters from across the country, President Barack Obama is expected to announce Thursday that he plans to revive part of the Constellation moon program, start a new heavy-rocket development project and create a $40 million initiative to help Kennedy Space Center workers find jobs after the space shuttle is retired later this year.
Though details of that effort remain vague, a senior administration official said a task force comprised of advisers from the defense, commerce and labor departments, NASA and the White House would come up with a plan for “regional economic growth” and worker retraining by Aug. 15.
The aim is to “help the Space Coast transform its economy and prepare its workforce for opportunities for tomorrow,” said a senior administration official, who was authorized to speak only on background Tuesday.
Up to 9,000 KSC workers are set to lose their jobs when the shuttle era ends. But the White House says Obama’s plans for KSC — including nearly $2 billion for a five-year modernization program that had been previously announced — would add 2,500 jobs “as compared to the prior path” that included the Constellation moon-rocket program.
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