As another generation of astronauts launches from the Space Coast now on SpaceX rockets Thompson is seeing a resurgence of revenue tied to the space program. And so are other local businesses, ranging from hotels to gas stations.
Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis said an estimated 220,000 people from outside the county came to Brevard for the first SpaceX Crew Dragon human spaceflight last May.
Unlike in the shuttle era, the Office of Tourism now can track visitor counts through a sophisticated method of using cellphone signals, and can determine how many of the phones in a particular area are from out of the county.