>>THIS WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE SPACE COAST, WITH THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS HEADED TO A MANUFACTURING FACILITY ON MERRITT ISLAND.

CAN BREVARD COMPETE FOR MORE HIGH WAGE JOBS?

BLUE ORIGIN IS REPORTEDLY FACING ALLEGATIONS OF A HOSTILE WORKPLACE.

WE'LL DISCUSS WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE COMPANY AND ITS OPERATIONS ON THE SPACE COAST.

AND ANOTHER CREW IS SET TO BLAST OFF FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

LATER THIS MONTH ON A SPACEX ROCKET, WHILE BOEING'S STARLINER REMAINS GROUNDED, NEWSNIGHT STARTS NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>HELLO, I'M NANCY ALVAREZ AND WELCOME TO NEWSNIGHT WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIG STORIES IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA AND HOW THEY IMPACT ALL OF US.

AND WE DO THIS EVERY WEEK, BY BRINGING TOGETHER A TEAM OF JOURNALISTS FROM DIFFERENT LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS, FOR THESE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

SO JOINING US THIS WEEK IN THE STUDIO, COMING BACK TO US, OUR FRIEND, BRENDAN BYRNE OF 90.7 WMFE AND THE HOST OF ARE WE THERE YET?

MY FAVORITE PODCAST.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND VIA SKYPE, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST AND CONTRIBUTOR TO SPACE.COM, AMY THOMPSON.

SO THANKS AGAIN TO YOU BOTH.

WE KNOW HOW BUSY YOU ARE AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

AND FIRST, TONIGHT, THE BIG STORY OF THE WEEK BLUE ORIGIN BLASTED WILLIAM SHATNER, AND THREE OTHER PEOPLE INTO SPACE, ONBOARD ITS NEW SHEPARD VEHICLE.

BUT THE LAUNCH COMES, AS THE COMPANY FACES DOWN ALLEGATIONS OF A TOXIC AND DYSFUNCTIONAL BRO CULTURE.

BLUE ORIGIN HAS A LARGE CENTRAL FLORIDA FOOTPRINT, WITH ITS MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND EXPLORATION PARK NEAR THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER.

THE COMPANY ALSO LEASES LAUNCH COMPLEX 36, AT THE CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION.

WILLIAM SHATNER'S FLIGHT IS THE SECOND CREWED MISSION FOR THE NEW SHEPHERD, BUT BLUE ORIGINS, NEW GLENN VEHICLE, WHICH WILL LAUNCH FROM THE SPACE COAST HAS FACED LENGTHY DELAYS.

REPORTING BY CNBC, SAYS THE COMPANY HAS FACED AN EXODUS OF TALENT AMID THE CEO'S PLAN FOR A FULL RETURN TO THE OFFICE.

AND THIS WEEK, THE WASHINGTON POST, DECIDING 20 CURRENT AND FORMER BLUE ORIGIN EMPLOYEES AND INDUSTRY OFFICIALS, REPORTS A COMPANY BE SET BY MISTRUST AND LOW MORALE.

IN A STATEMENT TO THE POST, BLUE ORIGIN SAYS IT TAKES ALL CLAIMS SERIOUSLY AND HAS NO TOLERANCE FOR DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT.

BLUE ORIGIN IS ALSO FIGHTING NASA'S DECISION TO REJECT ITS MOON LANDER PROPOSAL.

INSTEAD, AWARDING A $2.9 BILLION CONTRACT TO SPACEX.

>>THE COMPANY IS NOW SUING NASA, CLAIMING THE PROCUREMENT WAS QUOTE ARBITRARY, CAPRICIOUS AND IRRATIONAL.

IN ITS FILING, BLUE ORIGINS' SAYS QUOTE, NASA INEXPLICABLY DISREGARDED KEY FLIGHT SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR ONLY SPACEX, IN ORDER TO SELECT A SPACEX PROPOSAL THAT NASA'S EVALUATION TEAM ASSESSED AS TREMENDOUSLY HIGH RISK AND IMMENSELY COMPLEX, EVEN BEFORE THE WAIVER OF SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.

>>ALL RIGHT, SO A LOT TO UNPACK HERE, AMY, LET'S START WITH YOU AND WITH WILLIAM SHATNER BECOMING THE OLDEST PERSON TO REACH THE EDGE OF SPACE.

HE WAS SO EMOTIONAL WHEN HE LANDED.

IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING TO SEE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW THE FLIGHT WENT.

>>YES.

SO IT WAS SOMETHING TO SEE THIS FLIGHT IS BLUE ORIGIN'S SECOND HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT AND IT WAS JUST PRETTY MUCH TEXTBOOK AS FAR AS WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN DURING THE FLIGHT.

>>NO DESCRIPTION CAN EQUAL THIS WEIGHTLESSNESS.

OH, [INAUDIBLE] >>THE ROCKET, THE LANDING.

AND THEN JUST WILLIAM SHATNER'S RESPONSE WAS BASICALLY PR GOLD FOR IT WAS WHAT YOU WOULD HOPE THAT SOMEBODY WHO CAME BACK FROM SPACE, AND GOT TO SEE OUR PLANET FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT WOULD BE SAYING.

>>WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT DRAMATIC HUG >>YES, YES.

>>WITH JEFF BEZOS AND GOT TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE'S 90 YEARS OLD.

>>IT'S INCREDIBLE.

>>REALLY GOOD FOR MEDIA RELATIONS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO BLUE ORIGIN HAS COMPETITION IN THIS SPACE TOURISM FIELD, OF COURSE.

SO WHERE DOES THIS FLIGHT LEAVE IT IN ITS QUEST TO CARRY MORE HIGH PAYING PASSENGERS INTO ORBIT, PEOPLE LIKE ME AND YOU?

>>OH YES, PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND I.

SO OF COURSE WE'VE GOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LYING AROUND THAT WE CAN GET A FLIGHT IN HERE.

I THINK AMY PUT IT GREAT, THIS WAS PR GOLD.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED, ALL EYES WERE ON BLUE ORIGIN WATCHING THIS AND THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THAT BECAUSE THESE TICKETS ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.

THEY'RE VERY EXCLUSIVE, BUT THE MARKET DOES SEEM TO BE THERE FOR THESE RICH PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GO ON THAT.

WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF WILLIAM SHATNER PAID OR NOT, BUT THERE'S, HIS FLIGHT REALLY SHOWED THAT THERE IS ATTENTION TO THIS.

AND I ALSO THINK THAT IT WAS BOTH OF THESE HUMAN FLIGHTS, HAVE GONE, AT LEAST TO US PICTURE PERFECT.

I MEAN, THESE ARE ON TIME WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GO AND THAT'S GREAT FOR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

THE OTHER SPACE TOURISM COMPANY OUT THERE, VIRGIN GALACTIC HAD SOME ISSUES WITH THE FAA.

I'M NOT SURE WHEN THE NEXT MISSION'S GOING TO BE, BUT THIS WAS A VERY GOOD DAY FOR BLUE PR.

>>YEAH, FOR SURE AND EXCITING TO WATCH.

AMY LET'S LOOK AT THE CONTRACT FOR A MOON LANDER FOR THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM THAT WENT TO SPACEX.

BLUE ORIGIN'S PROPOSAL WAS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE.

SO DO WE GET AN IDEA FROM ITS COMPLAINT?

WHY IT FEELS THE DECISION WAS SO IRRATIONAL?

>>YES, I FEEL LIKE BLUE ORIGIN THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD THIS SORT OF WRAPPED UP.

THEY THOUGHT THAT NASA WAS GOING TO PICK TWO DIFFERENT COMPETITORS.

THE AGENCY REALLY LIKES TO HAVE REDUNDANT PROGRAMS.

THAT'S WHY FOR A COMMERCIAL CREW, YOU HAVE SPACEX AND YOU HAVE BOEING, SO THAT YOU HAVE TWO COMPANIES AND THEY THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS GOING TO CONTINUE.

SO BLUE ORIGIN KIND OF WENT IN WITH THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO START AT A HIGHER BID AND MAYBE TRY TO NEGOTIATE IT DOWN WITH NASA AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE A PART OF IT.

>>YEAH, INTERESTING HOW THAT PLAYED OUT.

BRENDAN, YOU GOT TO TALK ABOUT THIS QUOTE FROM ELON MUSK.

HE SAID THAT YOU CANNOT SUE YOUR WAY TO THE MOON, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOUR LAWYERS ARE.

SO THAT WAS QUITE THE QUOTE THERE.

HOW ARE BLUE ORIGINS CHALLENGES BEING SEEN IN THE BROADER SPACE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW?

>>IN THE PUBLIC, IT LOOKS LIKE BLUE ORIGIN IS THE VILLAIN HERE, RIGHT?

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO SUE THEIR WAY INTO GETTING THESE CONTRACTS.

THESE VERY LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS, NOT ONLY LUCRATIVE MONEY-WISE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO PUT NASA ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON.

THAT'S SOME BRAGGING RIGHTS, RIGHT THERE.

>>TALK ABOUT PR.

>>EXACTLY TALKED ABOUT PR, AND ALSO NASA, WE FOUND OUT THROUGH SOME REPORTING THROUGH THE VIRGIN AND FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS, THAT NASA LOOKED AT THIS AS A GAMBLE, THAT THEY SAW BLUE ORIGIN STRATEGY AND SAID, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK HERE.

SO YOU'RE SEEING THE SOURING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BLUE ORIGIN AND NASA AND THE SOURING PUBLIC RELATIONS, LOOK FOR THEM IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC AS WELL.

>>STAYING ON THE TOPIC OF PUBLIC OPINION, THE WASHINGTON POST REPORT THIS WEEK, ON THE CULTURE AT BLUE ORIGIN HAS REALLY GRABBED A LOT OF ATTENTION.

WHAT WERE THE STANDOUT PARTS OF THAT PIECE TO YOU?

AND WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN LEARNING FROM YOUR OWN REPORTING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON?

THERE'S SOME SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS >>FOR SURE, AND THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTING CAME AFTER 21 CURRENT AND FORMER EMPLOYEES PINNED A LETTER, AN OPEN ESSAY ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING AT BLUE ORIGIN.

IT WAS A SCATHING ESSAY OF ALLEGATIONS OF A TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENT, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, GENDER DISCRIMINATION, AND EVEN ALLEGATIONS OF LAX SAFETY.

YOU COULD SEE THAT ESSAY AND THE REPORTING FROM THE WASHINGTON POST HAD AN IMPACT ON BLUE ORIGIN.

IF YOU WATCH THE WEBCAST OF SHATNER, THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT SAFETY, BUT IT HIGHLIGHTED SOMETHING THAT I'VE NOTICED IN REPORTING ON THE SPACE INDUSTRY.

AND, AND THERE IS THIS GENDER INEQUALITY, THERE ARE THESE TOXIC WORK ENVIRONMENTS TO WOMEN AND MINORITIES IN THE ENGINEERING AND AEROSPACE SCIENCES.

SO, I WAS NOT SURPRISED.

AND THAT'S THE SAD PART OF THIS IS THAT'S WHAT YOU EXPECT IN THIS INDUSTRY AND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.

>>WOW, YEAH.

THAT'S INTERESTING.

YOUR REACTION TO IT IS INTERESTING.

AND AMY, HOW HAS BLUE ORIGIN AND JEFF BEZOS RESPONDED TO THESE CLAIMS, AND HOW DOES THE COMPANY EXPLAIN THE HIGH STAFF TURNOVER?

>>WELL, OBVIOUSLY AS BRENDAN SAID, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT A SURPRISE.

THIS KIND OF THING HAPPENS.

AND THEY SORT OF HAD A NON-RESPONSE RESPONSE.

THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE INVESTIGATING THE ALLEGATIONS, BUT THERE WAS ALSO KIND OF SOME TALK ABOUT HOW THE WHISTLEBLOWER, WHO CAME FORWARD, SORT OF HAD ISSUES AT THE COMPANY.

SO, THEY KIND OF SKIRTED AROUND IT, IN MY OPINION.

>>OH, WELL, HOPEFULLY IT'S AN ISSUE AND A STORY THAT WE ALL STAY ON TOP OF GOING FORWARD.

AND WE WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU CAN JOIN THE DISCUSSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR AT WUCF TV ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM.

WELL, NEXT TONIGHT, MORE DELAYS FOR BOEING STARLINER, AS SPACEX PRESSES AHEAD WITH PLANS FOR ANOTHER CRUDE LAUNCH.

>>THE FOUR ASTRONAUTS OF THE SPACEX CREW THREE MISSION WILL SPEND SIX MONTHS IN ORBIT.

THE LAUNCH IS SLATED FOR OCTOBER 30TH, FROM THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER >>COMING BACK IN THE SPRING OF 2022.

SO WE'LL DOCK WITH THE SPACE STATION ABOUT 22 HOURS AFTER WE LAUNCHED >>THE MISSION IS PILOTED BY VETERAN ASTRONAUT, TOM MARSHBURN.

THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE CREW ARE FIRST-TIMERS IN SPACE.

>>IT'S A GREAT TIME AND SPACE FLIGHT TO, WE'VE TALKED FOR A REALLY LONG TIME AT NASA.

AND I THINK AS A NATION, AND AS A WORLD, ABOUT THE IDEA OF MAKING LOW EARTH ORBIT ACCESSIBLE.

AND I THINK DURING OUR INCREMENT, ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IS SEE THAT HAPPEN WITH OUR OWN EYES AND SEE A PRIVATE MISSION COME TO THE SPACE STATION.

AND OUR JOB IS TO HELP ENABLE THAT.

AS ROOKIES GOING UP THERE, ESPECIALLY, WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO GET, TO SEE THAT AND BE A PART OF A NEW SORT OF ERA AND SPACE FLIGHT.

>>TOGETHER, THEY'LL CARRY ABOUT 350 EXPERIMENTS TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

>>THESE EXPERIMENTS WILL RANGE FROM MATERIAL SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, LIFE SCIENCES, TECHNOLOGICAL DEMONSTRATIONS, BUT ALSO EXPERIMENTS THAT ENABLE US TO DO THE NEXT STEP FROM THE LOWEST ORBIT TO EXPLORATION, TO FLY TO THE MOON.

SO LOTS OF EXCITING STUFF THAT WE WILL BE PERFORMING.

>>WHILE CREWED LAUNCHES FOR SPACEX ARE BECOMING ROUTINE.

THE OTHER COMPANY WITH A CONTRACT TO PROVIDE ASTRONAUT TRANSPORT TO THE ISS IS FACING YET MORE DELAYS.

BOEING STARLINER ISN'T EVEN FINISHED WITH ITS UNCREWED TEST FLIGHTS YET, THE LATEST OF WHICH, HAS NOW BEEN SHUNTED INTO NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF STUCK VALVES.

NASA RECENTLY REASSIGNED TWO ASTRONAUTS FROM THE STARLINER TO SPACEX'S CREW FIVE MISSION, LATER NEXT YEAR.

BOEING'S FIRST STARLINER TEST IN 2019 FAILED TO REACH THE CORRECT ORBIT NEEDED TO DOCK WITH THE ISS.

>>ALL RIGHT, SO BRENDAN, WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE STARLINER?

>>IT'S FAILURE TO LAUNCH NANCY.

IT CAN'T GET OFF THE GROUND.

THIS MOST RECENT DELAY WAS AN ISSUE WITH SOME VALVES ON THE VEHICLE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DELAY FROM 2019.

I WAS A SOFTWARE ISSUE.

IT SEEMED LIKE BOEING HAD FIGURED THAT ONE OUT AND HAD RUN THROUGH A FULL SIMULATION OF THIS UN- CREWED MISSION TO THE SPACE STATION BACK AND WAS READY TO LAUNCH IT AGAIN.

AND WHILE IT WAS ON THE PAD, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THESE VALVES.

SO THESE VALVES ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

THEY CONTROL THE MANEUVERABILITY OF THE VEHICLE WHILE IT'S IN SPACE.

SO FIGURING OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, IS PARAMOUNT.

IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH SOME CORROSION OF THE VALVES.

SO THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO UNSTACK IT FROM THE BOOSTER, BRING IT BACK TO THE FACTORY AND PULL IT APART AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHICH LEADS TO A VERY LENGTHY DELAY.

AND EVEN IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE OF SCHEDULING AT CAPE CANAVERAL WITH THE ATLAS FIVE ROCKET THAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO RIDE ON, AND JUST HOW BUSY THINGS ARE AT THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, THE EARLIEST IT CAN LAUNCH IS SPRING OF 2022.

SO THERE'S, THERE'LL BE A LENGTHY DELAY.

>>WE'LL BE WATCHING AND WAITING, AND AMY NASA AWARDED SPACEX AND BOEING, THE COMMERCIAL CREW CONTRACTS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY GETTING TO USE SPACEX RIGHT NOW.

SO HOW DOES THE AGENCY VIEW THESE ISSUES AT BOEING?

AND IS IT A BIG PROBLEM IN THEIR VIEW?

>>I FEEL LIKE NASA IS CONFIDENT THAT BOEING IS GOING TO WORK OUT THE ISSUES.

THEY DID GO THROUGH A LENGTHY PROCESS AFTER THE SOFTWARE ANOMALY AS FAR AS LIKE INVESTIGATING AND FINDING THE ROOT CAUSE.

SO, THIS WAS KIND OF A LITTLE UNFORTUNATE SECOND STRIKE AGAINST THEM, BUT IN THE LONG RUN, NASA IS CONFIDENT IN THEIR ABILITY TO CARRY ASTRONAUTS AND WE'LL TRY TO GET IT OFF THE GROUND AS SOON AS THEY CAN.

>>NASA SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO SEND ASTRONAUTS, AS WE KNOW, IN THE ORBIT FAIRLY REGULARLY WITH THE CREW DRAGON, AS WE'VE SEEN.

SO BIG PICTURE HERE.

I HATE TO ASK, BUT DOES IT REALLY NEED BOEING?

>>NASA DOES.

AND AMY MENTIONED THIS EARLIER WITH THE TWO DIFFERENT COMPANIES FOR THE LUNAR LANDER, NASA USUALLY LIKES TO HAVE REDUNDANT PARTNERS OR REDUNDANT SYSTEMS.

AND THE WHOLE REASON COMMERCIAL CREW WAS SET UP AND FUNDED THE WAY, IT WAS SO THAT THERE WERE TWO PARTNERS.

IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN TO CREW DRAGON THAT GROUNDED THAT, OR EVEN THE FALCON NINE, NASA WATCHES EVERY SPACEX LAUNCH, IF SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN, THAT WOULD GROUND THAT SYSTEM.

THEY, THEY NEED ANOTHER WAY TO GET ASTRONAUTS UP TO SPACE AND BACK.

SO NASA WANTS BOTH OF THESE COMPANIES ONLINE AND THEY'RE DOING WHATEVER THEY CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

>>AND AMY NASA HAS LONG SAID, THAT WITH THE COMMERCIAL CREW PROGRAM IN PLACE PROVIDING THAT TAXI SERVICE TO THE ISS, I LOVE HOW WE SIMPLIFY THAT, THE AGENCY CAN NOW FOCUS ON DEEP SPACE AND THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM.

SO HOW IS THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM PROGRESSING AND WHAT IS THE NEXT MILESTONE FOR THAT?

>>OKAY.

ALL THE COMPONENTS FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT ARE HERE IN FLORIDA AND THEY'RE BEING STACKED IN THE VEHICLE ASSEMBLY BUILDING AT NASA.

I BELIEVE THE NEXT STEP IS TO INTEGRATE THE ORION CAPSULE, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY CARRY ASTRONAUTS.

THIS ONE IS NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY ONBOARD FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT, BUT IT'S PROGRESSING ALONG AND SHOULD HOPEFULLY HAVE A TEST FLIGHT NEXT YEAR.

>>AND BRENDAN, WE HEARD [INAUDIBLE] THERE SAY THAT THIS MONTH SPACEX MISSION WILL HELP NASA AND ITS GOALS IN GETTING TO THE MOON.

SO LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT WHY THESE FLIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT TO NASA'S ARTEMIS PROGRAM.

I MEAN, EVERYONE'S A LITTLE STEP.

>>EVERYTHING'S A LITTLE STEP.

THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT.

AND, BEING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AS AN ASTRONAUT IS CRITICAL TRAINING IN THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS GOING TO THE MOON THROUGH ARTEMIS.

WE SAW JUST HOW CRITICAL THAT WAS RECENTLY WHEN NASA SAW THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE THAT BOEING STARLINER DELAY.

SO IT MOVES SOME OF ITS ROOKIE ASTRONAUTS THAT WERE SLATED TO BE ON BOEING, TO SPACEX WITH THE SOLE REASON SAYING, WE NEED TO GET THESE ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE BECAUSE THESE ARE THE ASTRONAUTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE GOING TO THE MOON.

THAT IS ONE VERY IMPORTANT STEP.

THERE ALSO SO MUCH MEDICAL AND SCIENCE RESEARCH HAPPENING ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION THAT LOOKS AT HOW SPACE AND RADIATION AFFECTS ASTRONAUTS WHILE THEY'RE THERE.

THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO KNOW IF WE'RE SENDING PEOPLE FOR A LONG DURATION, DEEP SPACE MISSION TO THE MOON.

SO IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THESE ASTRONAUTS ON THE SPACE STATION.

>>YOU MENTIONED THE EXPERIMENTS ON THE SPACE STATION WITH SO MUCH GOING ON, THERE'S SO MUCH TALK OF THE MOON AND SPACE TOURS AND ALL THESE GOALS.

WHAT'S THE BIG PICTURE FUTURE FOR THE SPACE STATION ITSELF.

>>IT'S GOING TO REACH THE END OF ITS LIFE.

WHAT COMES NEXT IS THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAPPENING, HAVING NOW, IS IT GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL COMPANIES THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP AND BACKFILL THAT?

FOR NOW, I'M STILL TRYING NOT TO THINK ABOUT THAT.

I'M THINKING THAT THE SPACE STATION IS GOING TO BE UP THERE FOREVER, BUT IT'S NOT.

SO, THAT'S VERY CRITICAL IS, WHAT IS GOING TO REPLACE THAT?

WE NEED TO HAVE THIS PERMANENT EXISTENCE IN LOWER EARTH ORBIT, BUT FOR US TO GO FARTHER.

>>COULD IT BE A MARRIOTT?

>>THE HYATT AND SPACE.

>>NEXT TONIGHT, NASA ADMINISTRATOR, BILL NELSON SAID RECENTLY, HE THINKS THE PRIVATE SPACE SECTOR WILL BRING MORE TO FLORIDA THAN PREVIOUS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING EVEN THE APOLLO MISSIONS.

IT'S A BOLD STATEMENT, BUT IS IT REALISTIC?

SO JUST RECENTLY SATELLITE MAKER, TAREN ORBITAL ANNOUNCED IT WOULD BE OPENING A NEW FACTORY ON MERRITT ISLAND, EMPLOYING MORE THAN 2000 WORKERS.

MY COLLEAGUE, STEVE MORT SPOKE THIS WEEK WITH SPACE FLORIDA'S DALE KETCHUM AND STARTED BY ASKING HIM HOW HE VIEWS THE PROGRESS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE SPACE COAST.

>>WELL, I THINK IF I LOOK BACK JUST 10 YEARS POST SHUTTLE, I THINK EVERYBODY'S ECSTATIC AT WHERE WE ARE, THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE'VE COME BACK AND NOT JUST REPLACE THE JOBS, BUT DIVERSIFIED INTO A MUCH MORE ROBUST SPACE ECONOMY GOING ON HERE.

WE'RE NOT WEDDED TO JUST ONE BIG GOVERNMENT PROGRAM.

NASA IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO PLAY A FUNDAMENTAL ROLE AND BE A MAJOR PART OF OUR EFFORTS GOING FORWARD.

BUT EVEN THE NASA PROGRAMS ARE INCREASINGLY RELYING ON THE COMMERCIAL FOR INNOVATION COST-EFFECTIVENESS AND SPEED.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND THOSE COLLABORATIONS EVOLVING AND TRANSFORMING, AND WE'RE VERY MUCH GOING TO NEED THAT.

IF WE'RE GOING TO COMPETE WITH OUR FRIENDS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PACIFIC, WHO ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT ASPIRATIONS IN SPACE, I THINK WHAT'S MOST DIFFERENT IS THE EXCITEMENT WE HAVE ABOUT WHAT'S REALLY COMING AND WHAT THE FUTURE OFFERS FOR US.

SO ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, WE WENT THROUGH A REAL ROUGH PATCH AS WE'VE DONE BEFORE, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT'S COMING AND THE POTENTIAL THAT'S OUT THERE.

>>I WONDER WHETHER PEOPLE, OR WHETHER THIS AREA HAS THE KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE SCALE EMPLOYERS LIKE THAT OVER THE LONGTERM.

>>NOT YET.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY THOUSANDS OF NEW WORKERS OUT HERE, AND WE ARE POOR IN THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTAURANTS, BARBERSHOPS BANKS, HEALTHCARE FACILITIES.

SO THAT'S A CONSCIENTIOUS EFFORT THAT SPACE FLORIDA IS UNDERGOING RIGHT NOW.

>>WHAT ABOUT THE LABOR MARKET?

WHAT'S THE STATE DOING TO SHORE UP THE LABOR MARKET FOR THESE COMPANIES?

THE SPACE COAST LOST OF COURSE, A LOT OF EXPERTISE AFTER THE SHUTTLE PROGRAM, HOW'S FLORIDA GOING TO SUPPORT THE NEED FOR THESE HIGH TECH AND HIGH SKILLED WORKERS FOR MANUFACTURING COMPANIES LIKE TAREN OR WILL YOU HAVE TO IMPORT THEM?

>>IT IS BY FAR AND AWAY, OUR SINGLE LARGEST CHALLENGE WE ARE GOING TO, BUT IT IS EVERYWHERE.

THERE, IS NO STATE THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NOT ENOUGH HIGH SKILLED EMPLOYEES.

SO THE SEARCH FOR TALENT, EITHER THROUGH RECRUITMENT OR DEVELOPMENT ORGANICALLY HERE IN FLORIDA IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE AND ARE GOING TO FACE FOR THE FUTURE.

IT'S A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE, BUT IT IS ONE THAT'S GOING TO DEMAND INNOVATION, RESOURCES, COLLABORATION, AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.

>>ALL RIGHT.

SO AMY, LET'S PICK IT UP RIGHT THERE.

DALE KETCHUM IS EXCITED AND EVERYONE IS ABOUT WHAT'S COMING, BUT HE DOESN'T THINK THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE YET TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AS WE JUST HEARD.

SO LET'S TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.

DO YOU AGREE?

>>YES.

IF YOU'VE EVER TRIED TO COME TO A ROCKET LAUNCH AND TRY TO FIND SOMEPLACE OVER AT THE SPACE COAST, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE, BUT IT GOES BEYOND THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A LAUNCH, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR THAT WAS DELAYED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS DUE TO PAD INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.

SO A LOT OF THESE LAUNCH PADS THAT ARE AT THE CAPE, THAT ARE STILL OPERATING NEED UPDATES.

IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE AMOUNT OF ROCKETS THAT EVERYONE HOPES IS ON THE HORIZON.

>>BRENDAN, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO SORT OF KEEP UP >>IT DEFINITELY, YOU NEED TO HAVE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.

AND, DALE MENTIONED IT, YOU NEED TO HAVE REASONS FOR PEOPLE TO WANT TO MOVE HERE.

YOU NEED TO HAVE THE BARBER SHOPS, THE BREWERIES, ALL THE HIPSTER THINGS, RIGHT?

ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BRING THESE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO THE AREA AND I THINK LEADERS IN THE AREA UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND I THINK THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT.

YOU'VE GOT TO GET PEOPLE TO WANT TO BE HERE FOR THEM TO UPEND THEIR LIVES AND MAKE THEIR CAREERS THERE.

>>AND WORK HERE, RIGHT.

AND ON THE LABOR MARKET QUESTION, IS IT TRUE THAT OTHER STATES FACE A SKILLED LABOR SHORTAGE, LIKE WE'RE EXPERIENCING HERE?

>>OF COURSE.

AND YOU LOOK AT THE NEWS HEADLINES.

I THINK EVERY INDUSTRY IS FACING A LABOR SHORTAGE.

THERE'S THE LABOR RECKONING AND, AND CHANGING CAREERS AND ALL OF THAT.

AND FLORIDA IS REALLY PUSHING TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THAT SKILLED WORKFORCE TO COMPETE WITH ALL THESE OTHER STATES.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON VOCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT TERRAN ORBITAL, THEY'RE GOING TO BE A MANUFACTURER.

THEY NEED HIGH-TECH MANUFACTURING.

THEY DON'T NEED PEOPLE THAT HAVE MASTER'S DEGREES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.

THEY NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE SKILLED AT PUTTING THESE THINGS TOGETHER, PUTTING THESE PRECISE COMPONENTS TOGETHER, WORKING WITH DIFFERENT MATERIALS.

AND SO THEY'RE STARTING TO REACH OUT TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE COMPANIES AND HAVING THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS TO REALLY BUILD THIS LABOR FORCE, WHICH THEN IN TURN ATTRACTS THE COMPANIES TO THE AREA.

>>BRENDAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD FOR THE SPACE COAST?

I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE LIST.

IS IT NASA'S ARTEMIS PROGRAM, THE SPACEX STAR SHIP, THE CREW DRAGON, OR MAYBE EVEN THE TRAINING FACILITY FOR THE SPACE FORCE THAT FLORIDA IS BIDDING FOR BECAUSE THAT'S GOING ON TOO.

SO THERE'S A LOT.

>>THERE IS A LOT, AND THERE'S DEFINITELY AVENUES FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS TO KIND OF BE BUILT UP.

I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THE AREA, IS GOING TO BE THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMERCIAL SPACE PROGRAM.

HAVING COMPANIES LIKE TARAN ORBITAL COME IN, HAVING COMPANIES LIKE BLUE ORIGIN AND SPACEX HERE.

AND I THINK FLORIDA IS AT AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A STATE AGENCY LIKE SPACE FLORIDA WITH DALE KETCHUM, THAT IS OUT THERE WORKING TO COURT, THESE PRIVATE COMPANIES HERE HELPING TO ESTABLISH THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT THEY NEED WITH THE LENDERS TO GET THE CAPITAL, TO WORK ON THESE INFRASTRUCTURES, TO WORK WITH FDOT, TO BUILD THE ROADS AND BRING THE POWER TO ALL THESE PLACES.

I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR FLORIDA IS GOING TO BE THAT EMBRACING COMMERCIAL SPACE AND GIVING IT A SPACE TO GROW AND TO LAUNCH.

>>AMY SPACE, FLORIDA WAS PLEASED WITH THE STEPS TAKEN BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON COMMERCIAL SPACE.

HAS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, LARGELY LEFT THOSE POLICIES INTACT?

>>YES.

SO THEY HAVE, AND I KNOW THAT WITH BILL NELSON, AS THE LEADER OF NASA AND PAM MELROY AS THE ASSISTANT, BOTH OF THEM HAVE GONE TO SPACE.

BOTH OF THEM STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING THAT WE SPEND THE MONEY TO KEEP THESE PROGRAMS GOING AND ALSO TRYING TO RECRUIT PEOPLE INTO STEM PROGRAMS SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF WORKFORCE GOING FORWARD TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.

>>DO OTHERS IN GOVERNMENT, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PEOPLE THAT YOU TALK TO AGREE WITH BILL NELSON, THAT COMMERCIAL SPACE WILL EVENTUALLY BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR THIS DATE THAN THE APOLLO PROGRAM?

I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE I'M SAYING THAT [CROSSTALK] >>I THINK HE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

I MEAN, CAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FUNDING FOR FEDERAL PROGRAMS LIKE NASA, THERE IS A CAP, RIGHT?

IT'S $20 BILLION A YEAR.

THAT'S ALL THAT NASA IS GOING TO GET.

IT CAN ALLOCATE IT TO ITS DIFFERENT CENTERS, HOWEVER IT IS.

BUT THERE IS A CAP AS TO HOW MUCH MONEY CAN GO TO FEDERAL PROGRAMS.

THERE IS NO CAP AS TO WHAT COMMERCIAL SPACES IS WILLING TO SPEND HERE IN FLORIDA.

AND I THINK WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO SEE THAT MOST OF THE PADS OUT AT THE SPACE COAST ARE COMMERCIAL OPERATORS.

WHY NOT CONTINUE BUILDING UPON THAT FOUNDATION AND REALLY EMBRACE COMMERCIAL SPACE AND THE STATE CAN REAP THE BENEFITS?

>>BEYOND THAT.

LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW BREVARD COUNTY CAN DIVERSIFY THE OPPORTUNITIES, BEYOND THE SPACE PROGRAM FOR BUSINESSES AND TO ATTRACT.

I KNOW CHANNEL NINE, WE DO A LOT OF REPORTING ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND WORK THAT COULD BE DONE ALONG THIS INCREDIBLE PIECE OF OUR COAST AND OUR STATE.

CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT?

>>SURE.

AND IT'S NOT JUST IN BREVARD COUNTY, TOO.

RIGHT?

THE ENTIRE STATE HAS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EMBRACE COMMERCIAL SPACE.

BREVARD COUNTY IS GOING TO RUN OUT OF ROOM.

THEY'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF SPACE.

SO IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO GO OTHER PLACES, BLUE ORIGIN HAS, THEY'VE GOT WORKERS UP IN PENSACOLA WORKING ON THEIR RECOVERY SHIPS, BUT YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

THERE'S SO MANY OTHER OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN COME FROM THIS.

AS AMY MENTIONED, THERE'S REALLY NOT A LOT OF RECREATION.

AND, THERE CAN REALLY BUILD UPON MAKING THIS PLACE SOMEWHERE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO GO AND WANT TO BRING THEIR FAMILIES AND WANT TO SET UP SHOP AND DO ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS.

>>AND WE'VE ALL DONE SO MUCH REPORTING ON, FOR EXAMPLE, THIS HIGH-SPEED TRAIN, FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA DOWN TO SOUTH FLORIDA AND BACK, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO JUST STATEWIDE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THIS GROWTH AND AN OPPORTUNITY.

>>RIGHT?

YEAH.

IT HAS TO HAPPEN.

AND THINK ABOUT THE 2000 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE GOING TO BE WORKING AT THIS TERRIBLE ORBITAL.

THAT'S 2000 MORE PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS, ON THE ROADS IN BREVARD COUNTY THAT HAVE DRIVEN ON ARE NOT REALLY READY FOR THAT.

SO THERE IS A LOT TO BE DONE TO PREPARE FOR THAT.

>>AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, THESE ARE NEW EMPLOYEES.

THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE GOING TO THAT BREWERY THAT YOU AND I ARE GOING TO OPEN UP IN TITUSVILLE.

>>I THINK WE SHOULD.

I THINK WE SHOULD, NANCY.

>>SORRY.

I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT.

THE WHOLE SHOW.

>>THE NEWS BREWS.

>>OH THE NEWS BREWS!

YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, THEN YOU'LL GET A DISCOUNT.

IF YOU MENTIONED NEWSNIGHT, YOU CAN FIND STEVE'S FULL LENGTH INTERVIEW WITH DALE KETCHUM ON OUR WEBSITE.

IT'S ALL AT WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT.

AND THAT IS ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK.

MY THANKS TO BRENDAN BYRNE OF 90.7 WMFE AND INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST, AMY THOMPSON.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

CHEERS.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8:30, RIGHT HERE ON WUCF.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT NEWSNIGHT, HAVE A GOOD AND SAFE WEEKEND.