February 19, 2026 — Development is booming in Florida’s Space Coast, the heart of America’s space industry. But environmental groups and commercial fishers say ecosystems and fishing businesses are suffering amid the nation’s astral ambitions.
The number of annual launches in Florida has more than tripled in the last five years, and the space industry’s biggest players are expected to increase their launch cadence. More rockets launching from Kennedy Space Center in central Florida may also mean more noise, port closures, air and water pollution, ocean acidification, and falling space debris — repercussions space companies and some Florida GOP lawmakers are asking locals to accept as a part of life on the Space Coast.
“Everybody thinks, ‘OK, we’re going to Mars, we’re going to the moon,’” said Bob Zales, executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association. “They don’t really think about the impact to the environment and to the people that live and work over there.”
At Kennedy Space Center, the environmental stakes are high. The complex sits inside of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and Indian River Lagoon system. The region is an eco-tourism hot spot and houses some of Florida’s most treasured species, including manatees, dolphins, whales, sea turtles and shorebirds.