Photo (Courtesy) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14220423Posted: 5:39 pm EDT July 21, 2011Updated: 7:23 pm EDT July 21, 2011
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- The jobs of more than 1,500 United Space Alliance employees come to an end on Friday and there are more to follow.
WFTV asked leaders and businesses if life on the Space Coast ends, too.
Some workers are taking early retirement with a pension and others said they are too young for that. They have at least a 20-week severance deal, but with the economy, it's still too early to tell what the end of an era will mean for NASA when 9,000 people are out of a job.
With Atlantis' sonic booms early Thursday morning came the rude awakening many on the Space Coast were dreading.
Patti Walls and Karen Jordan have more than 50 years experience between them working in the space industry, most of that for the United Space Alliance.
On Friday, their work comes to an end. Jordan said she spent a career checking expiration dates on shuttle parts. It's a career that will be hard to duplicate.
"Things have changed a lot since I put a resume together 21 years ago," said Jordan.
The key will be finding jobs for workers, no matter where they are, and fighting for each one.
Last year, the economic commission helped bring in 933 jobs and many were non-space related.
"AAR, Mid-Air, Embraer, these are all companies, that during these tough economic times, have chosen to do business in Brevard County," said Lynda Weathermen, economic development committee.
The focus will be to lure in companies with promises of an intelligent workforce, affordable housing, and a great lifestyle.
The space coast said they have seen this before, like the down time between the last Apollo mission and the shuttle program.
Still, the competition is fierce for jobs, especially for those hoping to stay where they are at.
"We don't want to go elsewhere, and the people that have moved have done so reluctantly," said Jordan.
When Apollo ended, there were about 230,000 people and only 10,000 people moved away.
Now there are more than 500,000 people in the area, and economic forecasters are hoping that exodus rate stays about the same.
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