Another milestone was reached Friday towards planning for the Cape Canaveral Spaceport when Roy Bridges, director of Kennedy Space Center and Brig. Gen. Donald P. Pettit, commander of the 45th Space Wing signed an interagency agreement that established the Joint Planning and Customer Service (JPCS) office.

The Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Photo: USGS

The agreement brings together an integrated staff from the 45th Space Wing and KSC into a single office to represent both agencies at the Spaceport. The principal missions of the JPCS are to eliminate bureaucracy, serve as a "one-stop shop" for new customers of the two federal agencies and to continue to expand the Air Force/NASA partnership.

"Our goals are simple: To make things easier for our customers to operate here and to plan together for the future. This office will offer personalized service and will be the first place all new customers come to initiate a business relationship with the Air Force and NASA," said Pettit. The JPCS is also designed to facilitate inter-agency planning activities between the 45th Space Wing and KSC.

"We're continuing to widen the bridge over the river between NASA and the Air Force at the Cape," said Bridges. "This is another major step towards streamlining and integrating our operations where possible and becoming more customer friendly."

Pettit added, "One more giant step towards ensuring the next 50 years of progress from the Cape is as dynamic as the first 50."

Patrick AFB will be the temporary location of the JPCSO. It will be relocated to Cape Canaveral AFS once a permanent office site is determined. Mr. Rick Blucker, director of the 45th Space Wing Plans and Programs Office, will be dual-hatted. He'll also serve as director of the JPSC staff.