USA- FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST - Mary F. Calvert Photography

USA: Florida’s Space Coast

During its heyday, Titusville, Florida enjoyed the distinction of being the capital of Florida’s Space Coast. Men and women were launched into space from the Kennedy Space Center, (KSC) while thousands of spectators crowded the shores of Titusville to view the launches. The local population took off along with the rockets of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, while grocery stores, gas stations and apartment complexes opened to serve their earthly needs. Titusville was a boomtown born of the space race.

After the retirement of the Space Shuttle program, the economic casualties mounted as home foreclosures skyrocketed. The trickle-down effects of seven thousand people losing their jobs was the closing of businesses all across the Space Coast.

With a total of 53 years between them working on the crawler transporter at Kennedy Space Center, Bobby Knost, Jim Guarino and Dan Drake, participate in the move of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to its final resting place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center. “Let’s get this over with, Bobby Knost said, Let’s put her to bed.” They were all laid off from their jobs soon after.

The Space Shuttle Atlantis travels a 10-mile road on the crawler transporter past the Vehicle Assembly Building, at Kennedy Space Center to its final resting place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center in Titusville, Fla.

Crawler Transporter crew members watch the fireworks display beyond the Space Shuttle Atlantis after it reached its final resting place at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Center in Titusville, FL.

A tour guide waits for visitors at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center.

With the Space Shuttle Endeavor parked behind them, tour guide Mary Glenn, of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center, lectures visitors who have paid $79 each to tour the Vehicle Assembly Building which is the largest hangar in the world.

The Miracle City Mall, deserted of customers and stores saw better times when Titusville, FL. was a boomtown born of the space race.

James Peek’s, 48, job as a Senior Aerospace Inspector at Kennedy Space Center became redundant in October of 2010. Since then, he has applied for more than fifty positions. Peek lives without health insurance and survives on odd jobs. He watches the weather channel at his Titusville home.

Tim Seymour wears a gold and diamond Space Shuttle ring. He worked on the close-out crew of the Space Shuttle program for 31 years. “You go to work with attitude. If it was easy, then anyone could do it,” he said. Seymour was the last person to see the astronauts after he strapped them into the orbiter, gave them the thumbs up and shut the door before they were blasted off into space. “Every time I did it, the weirdest feeling came over me because I knew I was the last one to touch it,” he said.

Tim Seymour’s treasured white jumpsuit that he wore at work hangs in the laundry room of his father’s house in Titusville, FL. For 31 years, he worked on the close out crew of the Space Shuttle program. “You go to work with attitude. If it was easy, then anyone could do it,” he said. Seymour was the last person to see the astronauts after he strapped them into the orbiter, gave them the thumbs up and shut the door before they were blasted off into space. “Every time I did it, the weirdest feeling came over me because I knew I was the last one to touch it,” he said.

Tim Seymour touches a patch with the astronaut-seating list for a shuttle launch on his treasured white jumpsuit that he wore at work. He worked on the close out crew of the Space Shuttle program for 31 years. “You go to work with attitude. If it was easy, then anyone could do it,” he said. Seymour was the last person to see the astronauts after he strapped them into the orbiter, gave them the thumbs up and shut the door before they were blasted off into space. “Every time I did it, the weirdest feeling came over me because I knew I was the last one to touch it,” he said.