The White House's space plan -- not exactly John Kennedy-esque – calls for a commercialization of sub-orbital flights and a scaled back commitment to manned space exploration.

"Obama promised to close the gap between the Shuttle and the Constellation project. He's basically made that gap eternal. This is a giant leap backward," says an angry U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge.

Posey's ire is understandable. He represents the Space Coast, which is home to some 14,500 jobs at the Cape Canaveral complex. Officials estimate 7,000 positions could be lost under the Obama proposal.

While most NASA positions will likely be spared, the trickle-down effect of contractor layoffs could mean as many as 15,000 related jobs would be lost along the way. Factor in unrelated sectors -- think auto dealers, grocery stores, etc. -- and the regional ripples could impact as many as 40,000 Florida residents.

National Security Implications

"When Obama talks about other countries getting into space exploration, it seems like he's looking out for everyone's jobs except for those of the people who built this space program," Posey fumes.

But, Posey says his concern goes beyond provincialism.

"The bigger issue is that we're giving up the military high ground and eroding our national security," he notes.

Frank DiBello, president of Space Florida, says NASA & Co. amount to an $8-billion-a-year industry for Florida, which generates an indirect benefit of two-and-a-half to three times that amount.

Beyond the dollars, DiBello calls space "a proven industry catalyst for innovation."

Space Florida has identified 10 key areas for technical and commercial applications, ranging from cyber security and robotics to clean energy to adventure tourism.

The Obama administration appeared to acknowledge such benefits when it announced plans to broaden technology initiatives. The White House's proposed $100 billion outlay over the next five years represents a $6 billion increase to current spending.

Virginia Wins Funding

If Florida is a loser, one of the winners would appear to be a smaller barrier island off the Virginia coast. Last month, NASA increased the support contract to the Virginia Space Flight Authority/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island to provide launch services for expendable launch vehicles.

Current and long-term capabilities of Wallops are being enhanced to provide launch services for small- and medium-class sub-orbital missions for NASA, other federal organizations and commercial ventures.

Wallops will be the launch site for the NASA Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Experiment Explorer mission aboard an Air Force Minotaur V rocket in late 2012. Wallops also will support processing and launches through the spaceport for commercial cargo re-supply services to the International Space Station with Orbital Sciences Corporation's Taurus II launch vehicle beginning in 2011.

Risking Innovation Edge

By canceling the Constellation project, which aimed for manned flights to the moon, the White House dulls America's technological edge, some experts say.

"Without an exploration goal, technology tends to flounder," DiBello says. "Without a bold leadership goal, we'll concede our advantage to other countries."

Then, there's the pennywise and pound-foolish aspect to Washington's downward spiral.

Depending on the Russians to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station will ratchet up costs. Where Russia once set a transport charge of $30 million per astronaut, Moscow recently raised that fee to $51 million.