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New Air Traffic Control Tower and Mission Control Center Opens at Cecil Air and Spaceport

August 3rd, 2021 · Leave a Comment

A new 126-foot air traffic control tower and mission control center recently opened for operations at Cecil Air and Space Port. The mission control center was dedicated to astronaut Dr. Norman Thagard, a graduate of Paxon High School in Jacksonville.

The tower was built to accommodate immense growth at Cecil Airport. All existing buildings at the airport are leased, and in December, Boeing announced construction of a 362,000 square foot hangar on the east side of the Airport’s runway. The mission control center is intended to support horizontal launch operations at the Spaceport.

The air traffic control tower is approximately 7,500 square feet while the mission control center is 1,831 square feet. Design and construction were made possible with grants from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Space Florida. RS&H and Pond designed both facilities.

Cecil Spaceport’s mission control center will be named after Dr. Thagard, the first American astronaut to ride to space on a Russian spacecraft. The Dr. Norman Thagard Mission Control Center will be utilized by operators conducting space operations at Cecil.

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