COCOA BEACH, Fla. – Brevard County government officials expects roads, parking lots and beaches to be packed on May 27 when NASA and SpaceX plan to launch two astronauts on Florida’s first human spaceflight mission in nine years.
"Knowing it's a historic event, we realize there's going to be a lot of folks coming here," Brevard County Communications Director Don Walker said.
For those concerned about gathering for a major rocket launch during a pandemic, the county said do not expect visitors to get in trouble if they're too close to one another.
“There are no social distancing police out there,” Walker said. “Law enforcement will be out and about and if they do see people who aren’t practicing social distancing, they’ll remind them but there’s really nothing you can do that’s going to force people to practice social distancing.”
The Cocoa Beach Pier will limit how many people will be on its boardwalk.
If, next Wednesday, Florida is still in phase 1 of reopening, the pier will remain at half-capacity.
"The sanitation practices are in place and being used and everybody has that peace of mind that they're coming to a safe environment to watch a historic event," Cocoa Beach Pier General Manager Andrew Spinner said.
The pier and county are each advising guests who do choose to travel to watch the launch to be safe and also patient.
“It may be a time-specific launch, but it’s going to be an all-day event, total congestion and gridlock,” Walker said.