MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) joined officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), SpaceX, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Russian State Space Corporation (ROSCOSMOS), and the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for a mission briefing ahead of today's NASA-SpaceX Crew 11 launch to the International Space Station. The site visit also included a tour of vehicle maintenance and construction facilities.

Background:

H.R. 2422 – "CAPE Canaveral Act": Introduced on March 27, 2025 by Congressman Donalds, requires the transfer of NASA Headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Brevard County, Florida. H.R. 2422 is co-led by Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) and has also received the support of Representatives Aaron Bean (R-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Carlos Giménez (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Cory Mills (R-FL), John Rutherford (R-FL), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), and Daniel Webster (R-FL).

NASA-SpaceX CRS-32: On April 21, 2025, Congressman Donalds and his team attended the mission briefing and launch of SpaceX's 32nd commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station alongside NASA officials and legislative staff. The mission delivered science, supplies, and hardware from Kennedy Space Center to the orbiting laboratory.

NASA Artemis II: On April 21, 2025, Congressman Donalds and his team visited the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center to assess the construction progress of NASA Artemis II. Slated for launch in 2026, this mission will send four astronauts around the Moon. This 10-day flight will be the first crewed mission on NASA's path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon.

Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37): On Monday, Congressman Donalds urged Secretary Troy Meink of the United States Air Force to increase the efficiency of modernization operations at SLC-37. SLC-37 is one of the few launch pads on the Eastern Range that has historically been used for heavy lift launches, but today, it sits idle due to outdated infrastructure. The United States Air Force has agreed to demolish SLC-37's outdated infrastructure, however, approval for the construction of next-generation heavy lift launch capabilities is still under review. The Donalds-led effort seeks to revive the operational readiness of SLC-37 to ensure continued American space dominance and has received the bicameral support of Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL). Yesterday, Congressman Donalds joined officials from the United States Space Force, NASA, and SpaceX, at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to visit and assess SLC-37.

More:

See photos from Kennedy Space Center below:

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