Robert W. Burns III

Robert W. Burns III is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Space Coast Rocket, an independent news and investigative journalism publication covering Brevard County, Florida. A retired U.S. Army veteran and Melbourne High School graduate, Robert returned to his Space Coast hometown after his military service — which included a combat deployment to Iraq, where he served on a Military Transition Team training Iraqi forces during the country's first democratic elections. Robert founded The Space Coast Rocket in 2019 after discovering that significant local corruption stories were going unreported by established outlets. His investigative reporting has broken major stories in Brevard County, including the David Isnardi Palm Bay corruption case, and his extensive coverage of Florida politician Randy Fine has been picked up by national media outlets. His beats include Brevard County government, Palm Bay city hall, Space Coast crime and courts, Florida state politics, and investigative reporting on public corruption and government accountability. Beyond journalism, Robert has led several humanitarian relief efforts across the country, including organizing and personally delivering a truckload of emergency supplies to San Antonio, Texas during the February 2021 winter storm crisis — work that was covered by both San Antonio and Orlando media. He has also coordinated community-driven disaster response after multiple hurricanes affecting Florida's Space Coast. Robert is President of The Relentless Group and owner of The Social Wizards, a digital marketing and social media agency. He is also the founder of Tourniquets for Teachers, a nonprofit dedicated to training teachers and school staff in life-saving bleeding-control techniques to prepare for active-shooter emergencies in schools. He holds professional certificates from Harvard Business School in strategic planning, leadership, and communications, and is currently pursuing a Master's in Journalism at Harvard University. A proud father of three, Robert is known across the Space Coast for his fearless reporting, his commitment to community service, and — by his own admission — telling some of the worst dad jokes in Brevard County.