What a weekend on the Space Coast! On Friday I went to the “Pet the Jet” event at Patrick Space Force Base. On Saturday I teamed up with a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) guide to lead a KSC bus tour of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Today, Sunday, I went back to MAX POWER as a spectator for the UP.Summit technology expo.
Friday at Pet the Jet
Friday’s Pet the Jet event at Patrick Space Force Base put some great aircraft right in front of me. I photographed Jared Isaacman’s MiG, the U.S. Army Golden Knights’ yellow-and-white plane, and a NASA jet.
Sunday at MAX POWER and UP.Summit
NASA’s new MAX POWER event took over Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 7–8. It was split into three “parks”: an air show at the shuttle landing facility, exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and the UP.Summit expo (NASA MAX POWER). NASA calls it “America’s newest aerospace expo and air show,” timed to the nation’s 250th anniversary (NASA announcement).
Rockets at the front door
UP.Summit was held in and around Space Florida’s Reusable Launch Vehicle Hangar, beside the former space shuttle landing strip. Visitors are greeted by a SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage booster and the upper stage of a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket (Florida Today). The New Glenn second stage sat right next to the Falcon 9. Crews turned the 50,000-square-foot hangar, which sits along the 15,000-foot runway, into a convention-style venue (Florida Today). Seeing a Falcon 9 booster lying on its side really shows its size, and having New Glenn’s upper stage parked beside it put two of the Space Coast’s big launch companies in one view.
Blue Origin also brought a mockup of its uncrewed Blue Moon Mark 1 cargo lander (Florida Today video).
Lots of flying things
There were lots of flying things. I filmed a Gravity Industries jet-suit flyby past the crowd (collectSPACE), and a Jetson ONE taking off, hovering and landing (Jetson on X).
Joby Aviation also had one of its electric aircraft on static display. There was also a Jetson ONE personal-aircraft display. Out at the shuttle landing facility, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headlined the MAX POWER afternoon air shows (Florida Today), so the sky stayed busy all weekend.
Cybercabs and a Cybertruck with wings
Tesla had gold Cybercab robotaxis on display. These are two-seaters with no steering wheel or pedals (News-Press). A Cybertruck with wings was also on static display. The Cybercabs weren’t just for looking: several were on hand to give attendees demonstration rides (News-Press).
Rovers, robots, and sculptures
Lunar rovers from Lunar Outpost with GM and from Astrolab were on display. A Machina Labs robotic metalworking display included a panel bearing the NASA logo. There were also astronaut sculptures covered in handwriting, both indoors and out.
The U.S. Space Academy
I enjoyed hearing about the new U.S. Space Academy. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson shared updates on the academy on the UP.Summit main stage (NASA MAX POWER). NASA describes the academy as a “NASA-led, civilian Federal academic institution,” with instruction targeted to begin in 2028 (SAM.gov notice). Graduates who want to may still pursue national-security roles, such as the Space Force (Long Blue Leadership interview). The academy grew out of an executive order President Trump signed on Aug. 28, 2026. NASA says it will prepare future scientists, engineers, astronauts, pilots, civil servants and other leaders (SAM.gov notice). Anderson has also pointed out that it gives people who want to serve their country, but can’t join the military for medical reasons, a way to serve as civilians in space (Long Blue Leadership interview).
A space station exhibit
I saw Vast’s Haven-1 space-station exhibit too, but the line was long, so I didn’t go inside.
Wrapping up the weekend
That was my weekend on the Space Coast. It started Friday at the “Pet the Jet” event at Patrick Space Force Base, continued Saturday with shared tour-guide duties on a KSC bus tour of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and finished today as a spectator at UP.Summit. This post includes photos from Friday’s Pet the Jet visit and Sunday’s expo, with both flight videos filmed on Sunday.
From a Falcon 9 booster and New Glenn’s upper stage to a Moon lander mockup, Cybercabs, a winged Cybertruck, Vast’s Haven-1 space-station exhibit, a jetpack and a flying vehicle, there was a lot packed into one hangar and runway. Add the news that the U.S. Space Academy is aiming to welcome its first civilian-focused students in 2028, and it was a great weekend to be a space fan in Florida. Until next time, keep looking up! 💫
All photos and videos: The Star Queen.
Some bystanders’ faces have been softly blurred for privacy.
Sources
- NASA MAX POWER
- NASA Announces MAX POWER
- Florida Today: UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center
- Florida Today video: Blue Moon lander mockup
- News-Press: Inside UP.Summit
- SAM.gov: U.S. Space Academy notice
- Long Blue Leadership: NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson
- Jetson on X: Jetson ONE at UP.Summit / Kennedy Space Center
- collectSPACE: Max Power day-two photo captions (Gravity Industries demo)