ARTEMIS 1 The Artemis 1 mission to the moon has concluded with a Pacific Ocean splashdown on December 11th. The mission successfully tested the rocket systems and capabilities, as well as released several scientific payloads. The Artemis II mission, which will include astronauts and a flyby of the moon, is tentatively scheduled for 2024. An actual moon landing will be the next phase, which will be no earlier than 2025.
SPACE FLORIDA Companies interested in investing in Florida’s space industry will soon have access to $60 million in project improvements to the Launch Landing Facility at Cape Canaveral. Space Florida will be soliciting vendors for this improvement and two other mystery projects.
BRIGHTLINE The federal government awarded Brightline a grant which will be used to raise awareness of the potential dangers associated with high-speed rail. The awareness campaign will hopefully prevent further deaths, several of which have occurred in South Florida near Brightline’s tracks.
ELECTRIFIED ROADS Florida is joining several other states that will soon be testing electromagnetic inductive charging. What is unique is that the coils will be embedded in the road to allow electric vehicles to charge while driving on those roads. The Central Florida Expressway Authority is planning on introducing the technology on a mile of the Lake/Orange Expressway near Orlando, a new roadway under construction that is scheduled for completion by 2026. The pilot program will cost about $10 million.
PEDESTRIAN DANGERS Florida is the second most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrians with 3.22 pedestrian deaths/100,000 people. Among the 20 most treacherous areas, six Florida metro areas are listed, with Daytona Beach being the most hazardous.