CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The countdown is on at the Kennedy Space Center, where on Thursday morning NASA will launch the Orion spacecraft into orbit, a launch that could jump start the U.S.'s space program.
The unmanned rocket is set to launch at 7:05 a.m.
The capsule will orbit the Earth and reach altitudes 15 times higher than the International Space Station.
Since the space shuttle program ended in 2011, locals and tourists have had very little to look forward to. Thursday's launch is a huge step for NASA. The flight's success is critical to NASA plans of one day sending astronauts into deep space and even to Mars.
As shown in a NASA animation, the Orion spacecraft will endure some of the most critical conditions possible in space, orbiting the Earth twice and then swinging out to a point some 3,600 miles away from Earth.
The launch is entirely about seeing how well Orion gets away from Earth and how it reenters the atmosphere.
At speeds of 20,000 mph and temperatures of 4,000 degrees, the capsule will be tested to see if it can handle the heat. The high-tech computers will be subjected to deep space radiation, and its parachutes will be put to the test when the capsule splashes down in the Pacific Ocean in Mexico.
Tourists are elated to see space exploration return.
"Hopefully it's the start of rebuilding NASA and getting people back to work," resident Hy Forman said.
The launch could be the first of many for Orion, which means more jobs at the Kennedy Space Center and a big economic impact. The hotels are sold out, the restaurants are busy and the town is abuzz about the launch.
"This will be full tomorrow. There won't be an empty spot," tourist Elana Malo said. "You need to be early, on time. We've seen people coming and standing on the highways. Everyone wants to see that."
"I am excited to see it, to witness it and to just be here," tourist Lynelle Wolfson said. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Forman remembers the economic fallout just three years ago, when the space shuttle program was dissolved following the final launch of Shuttle Atlantis.
"It was a tremendous impact, thousands laid off," Forman said. "Not just NASA, but contracts from anyone who worked with NASA, banks all around, they lost their jobs, homes were repossessed. The real estate market here is way down from where it should be."
The average family is spending an estimated $100 to $150 a night on hotel rooms, but many have wrapped an entire vacation around this week. Factor in the meals, gas and visits to local shops and businesses, and Cape Canaveral is one step closer to where it used to be.
The entire mission is expected to last about five hours. As of Wednesday afternoon, there was a 70 percent chance that the launch will be a go. There are a number of weather factors that could cause it to be scrubbed.
There is also a two-hour and 36-hour window for launch.