The rocket launch capital of the world is still open.
Like federal agencies across the U.S., NASA has no choice but to put a pause on many of its spaceflight operations after the federal government officially shut down on midnight Oct. 1.
President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats are blaming each other for failing to reach an agreement to avert what is now the 15th government shutdown since 1981. In short, that means until lawmakers can agree on a spending bill that will restore funding, many public services will be put on hold and many government workers not considered “essential” will be sent home without pay.
What does that mean for NASA? The U.S. space agency operates several centers and employs thousands of people across the country – perhaps most prominently in Florida where its Kennedy Space Center on the Space Coast is billed as its premiere spaceport.
In addition, what does that mean for the Florida tourist attraction, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex?
Here’s what we know about the government shutdown’s effects on NASA, Kennedy Space Center and the space-themed Florida attraction east of the Orlando theme parks.
Is NASA’s Kennedy Space Center open during 2025 government shutdown?
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on the Space Coast (Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, Merritt Island area) in Florida remains open during the government shutdown. Visitors to the space-themed theme park can still sign up for special interest tours and the Kennedy Space Center bus tours.
The longtime Florida attraction is about an hour’s drive east of the Orlando theme parks, including Walt Disney World Resort (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom) and Universal Orlando Resort (Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.)
How much does admission cost to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida?
Tickets for Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex start at $77 for those ages 12 and older, $67 for children ages 3 to 11 years old and free for children under 2. Discounts for seniors and military are available.
Admission includes access to:
How is NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida still open amid government shutdown?
“Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is operated for NASA by Delaware North and is not supported by government or tax-payer funding,” the visitor complex said in a news release.
How does government shutdown affect NASA in Florida?
Like federal agencies across the U.S., NASA has no choice but to put a pause on many of its spaceflight operations after the federal government officially shut down.
But as NASA outlined in a contingency plan from 2018, only “activities which are necessary to prevent harm to life or property” would be exempt from ceasing operations during a shutdown. That means the vast majority of NASA’s employees could be furloughed and all but its most critical operations – including management of the International Space Station – are likely to be paused.
Reached by the USA TODAY Network Tuesday, Sept. 30, before the shutdown, a spokesperson for NASA referred questions to a landing page on NASA.gov with the latest information, employee guidance and more.
According to documents on the page, of more than 18,000 workers employed at NASA, about 82.8% of them are due to be sent home without pay – or furloughed – during the goverment shutdown. That’s based on a plan outlined by NASA’s Chief Financial Officer Steve Shinn and sent Sept. 29 to the Office of Management and Budget, which administers the federal budget.
Without the full strength of its workforce, many of NASA’s activities are due to temporarily cease, including its educational outreach and many of the agency’s research programs. Until a shutdown comes to an end, the public will also not be able to visit any NASA centers and facilities that provide tours or attractions, and will not be able to watch any programming or live coverage on the agency’s NASA+ streaming service.
Where is the rocket launch capital of the world?
Florida’s Space Coast, measuring 72 miles along the Atlantic Coast, has gained fame as the most active region in the United States for rocket launches and has been referred to as “the rocket launch capital of the world.”
On any given week, it’s typical for multiple commercial, civil and military spacecraft – most of them without astronauts – to take off from either NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Located on the east coast of Florida on Merritt Island in Brevard County, the Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s primary spaceport where a majority of the space agency’s missions get off the ground.
The center manages the launches of both crewed and uncrewed spaceflights to the International Space Station and partners with commercial companies like SpaceX, which conducts its own rocket launches at the site. Most of the launches take place from the historic Launch Complex 39A – the site of NASA’s Apollo moon mission launches.
The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is near Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach in Brevard County, Florida. Though it is part of the Patrick Space Force Base, the station is also a launch site for civil NASA missions and commercial missions like SpaceX’s Starlink satellite deployments.
Will NASA still launch missions during a shutdown?
For the most part, NASA’s spaceflight program will continue if the missions in question are “necessary to protect life and property,” the plan outlined.
This includes ensuring that cargo resupply spacecraft continue to launch to the International Space Station as needed.
Because SpaceX is a paying commercial tenant at several government spaceports, including the Kennedy Space Center, it will continue to launch its Falcon 9 rocket on private missions that include regular Starlink internet satellite deployments.
Contributing: Brooke Edwards, FLORIDA TODAY
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Is NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida open during government shutdown?
Reporting by Eric Lagatta and Jennifer Sangalang, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
