ORLANDO, Fla. — In the age of coronavirus, Florida officials and NASA are split on whether it's a good idea for spectators to show up for next week's space launch. In ordinary times, the beaches and roads along Florida’s Space Coast would be packed with people eager to witness the first astronaut launch from Florida in nine years. NASA and Space X are urging people to stay at home next Wednesday for safety reasons. But officials in Brevard County, home to the Kennedy Space Center, are rolling out the welcome mat in an effort to jump-start a tourism industry hit hard this spring by coronavirus lockdowns.
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Thousands gather in the surf and on the beach in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Friday, July 8, 2011, to watch the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis -- the final shuttle mission before the fleet is retired.
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