ARE WATCHING A REAL LAUNCH IN PERSON. I WILL SEND IT BACK TO YOU
GUYS.
>> YES THOSE MEMORIES AND THAT
EXCITEMENT STILL JUST AS VIVID
TODAY.
THANK YOU, MIKE.
NOT JUST BUSY DAY AT THE SPACE
CENTER BUT BUSINESSES AROUND
THE SPACE COAST BOUNCING BACK
ONCE AGAIN THANKS TO THE SURGE
OF SPACEFLIGHT.
WHEN BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR A
LANDMARK IN THESE PARTS IS
BUSIER THAN EVER.
>> NEWS 6 AN JUSTIN WARMOTH
PAID A VISIT.
>> FOR 30 YEARS GOING TO WORK
WAS A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR JERRY.
>> IT WAS EXCITING JUST TO GO
TO WORK EVERY DAY.
THE WHOLE THING ABOUT BEING A
PART OF SOMETHING THAT IS
HISTORY IS JUST AWESOME.
>> ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
STARTED IN 1981, MOWBRAY WAS
HIRED AS A QUALITY ENGINEER
WORKING JUST A FEW FEET AWAY
FROM THE CROWNED JEWEL OF
AMERICAN SPACEFLIGHT.
>> HAVING A SHUTTLE LAUNCH IS
KIND OF LIKE HAVING A SUPER
BOWL IN YOUR BACKYARD EVERY SO
OFTEN.
AND THAT IS WHAT IT WAS LIKE.
HE WOULD COME IN AND IT’S JUST
A CROWD OF PEOPLE AND RUNNING
TO SEE THE LAUNCH.
>> BUT ON JULY 8, 2011, THE
SPACE SHUTTLE SORT FOR THE LAST
TIME.
>> TWO CASH ONE AND ZERO
LIFTOFF.
THE FINAL LIFTOFF OF ATLANTIS.
SHOULDERS OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE
AMERICA WILL CONTINUE THE
DREAM.
>> THE END OF THE PROGRAM MEANT
MULBERRY AND THOUSANDS OF
COLLEAGUES WERE OUT OF A JOB
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE
RECESSION.
THE GOOD NEWS FOR HIM, HIS WIFE
WAS WINNING THEIR T-SHIRTS
STORE CALLED SPACE SHIRTS A FEW
MILES SOUTH OF THE SPACE
CENTER.
>> WEEZER CONCERN YOU MAY HAVE
TO CLOSE ARE YOU GOING TO STAY
OPEN REGARDLESS?
>> I THINK WE WERE DIVERSIFIED
ENOUGH WITH OUR CUSTOMERS WE
WOULD NOT HAVE TO CLOSE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT A
PRINTSHOP AND CUSTOM EMBROIDERY
THEY DO THAT EVERYWHERE.
>> BUT FOR OTHER SHUTTLE
WORKERS NOT AS SMOOTH.
AT ITS PEAK BREVARD COUNTY’S
UNEMPLOYMENT REACHED TO ALMOST
12 PERCENT.
TAMMY MITCHELL WORKS AT SPACE
SHIRTS AND REMEMBERS THE
ECONOMIC DOWNFALL.
>> IT DEVASTATED A LOT OF MY
FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND MOST OF
THEM ENDED UP MOVING AWAY
BECAUSE THEY CANNOT MAKE IT AND
IT WAS REALLY SAD.
IT ALMOST FELT LIKE A GHOST
TOWN.
>> BUT THANKS TO THE RISE OF
COMMERCIAL SPACE COMPANIES, THE
JOBS THEY ARE BRINGING BACK TO
THE SPACE COAST AND THE VOLUME
OF LAUNCHES THE ECONOMY IS NOW
THRIVING.
THAT IS ALSO THE CASE HERE AT
SPACE SHIRTS MNU DURING THE
50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE APOLLO
MOON LANDING, THEY SAY IT IS
NEVER BEEN BUSIER.
>> WE CANNOT PRINT FAST ENOUGH.
WE CANNOT PRINT THEM FAST
ENOUGH.
CANNOT.
ENOUGH. CANNOT. IT IS INSANE.
>> PROVED TO BREVARD COUNTY IS
BACK TO BEING THE EPICENTER OF
SPACE LAUNCH.
NEWS 6.
>> THERE YOU GO.
AND LOOK AT THIS I HAVE THE
SHIRT RIGHT HERE TO PROVE IT.
>> LOOK AT THAT.
THAT’S A GREAT LOOKING ONE TOO.
>> THIS IS NOT MY SIZE.
[LAUGHTER] BUT THEY HAVE PLENTY
OF SPACE SHIRTS.
IT IS ONLY LIKE EIGHT MILES
SOUTH OF THE KENNEDY SPACE
CENTER.
ONE OF THE LAST BUSINESSES
BEFORE YOU DO GET TO THE SPACE
KENNEDY CENTER AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE GO THERE.
CAMPS BUT FOR LUNCH OR
SOMETHING THEY CERTAINLY SEE
IT.
THEY SAY THEY HAVE A BETTER
SELECTION THAN VISITORS
COMPLEX.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> THAT IS WHY PEOPLE ALWAYS
LOOKING FOR THE SHIRTS.
THEY DO THEIR OWN DESIGNS.
>> YOU CAN GET THE THROWBACK
DESIGNS AS WELL.
>> THE SHUTTLE LAUNCHES.
THEY HAVE ASSURED FOR EACH
SHUTTLE LAUNCH.
THEY WERE DESIGNED OFF THE
PATCH BECAUSE JERRY WORKED, THE
OWNER OF SPACE SHIRTS WORKED AS
A QUALITY ENGINEER ON SHUTTLE
TO THE PROGRAM AND SAID
ASTRONAUTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
WOULD COME IN THE 80S AND 90S
AND HE MISSES THAT ASPECT BUT
IS CERTAINLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT
WHERE THE SPACE PROGRAM IS
GOING NOW.
>> I KNOW WHEN YOU FIRST MOVED
HERE YOU STARTED WORKING AT
NEWS 6 YOU WORKED IN BREVARD
COUNTY AND LIVED THERE SO
CERTAINLY NICE TO SEE THE
CHANGES OVER THE YEARS YOU HAVE
BEEN HERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO MANY BUSINESSES HAVE POPPED
UP A NEW RESTAURANTS.
IT IS THRIVING.
YOU ARE THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
IN BREVARD COUNTY WHEN THE
SHUTTLE PROGRAM ENDED IN 2011
IT SPIKED TO 12 PERCENT IS NOW
LOWER THAN FOUR PERCENT.
IT IS JUST REALLY COOL.
LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON YOU ARE
GOING TO MEET SOMEONE WHO IS A
NEW BUSINESS, A NEW RESTAURANT
IN TITUSVILLE.
AND HE SAYS HE HAS THE NUMBER
ONE LOCATION FOR HIS PIZZA
SHOP.
>> YOU WILL SEE WHY.
>> YOU WILL SEE WHY.