By MIKE SCHNEIDER
Associated Press

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (AP) - For the spectators who gathered along Florida's Space Coast to watch an astronaut launch, the rumbling thunder and darkening clouds were more worrisome than any pandemic. Hundreds of spectators on Wednesday sheltered from an off-and-on drizzle under tents and umbrellas on lawn chairs.  About half of the spectators wore masks as encouraged by health officials to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. NASA and SpaceX had urged spectators to stay at home for safety reasons. But local officials rolled out the welcome mat in an effort to jump-start a tourism industry hit hard by the virus.

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