KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Returning humans to space while launching them from Florida's Space Coast is expected to be the highlight of 2019.

The first big step, still scheduled for later this month.

The year 2018 saw several launches from the Space Coast, with 20 rocket launches were recorded on the Space Coast. 

All memorable in their own way, but they all were missing one thing: Humans on board.

That changes this year, some hope.

Years of building, training and testing comes down to 2019: the return of American astronauts launching from Florida's Space Coast.

After facing numerous delays, Space Florida's Dale Ketcham is optimistic that this is the year Americans will stop relying on Russians to get to the International Space Station.

"Americans need to launch from American soil," the vice president of government and external relations said.

Both SpaceX and Boeing are working on spaceships to carry astronauts to and from the ISS.

First up are demonstration flights with no humans on board to test the systems and make sure the Crew Dragon and CST 100 Starliner can get to space and back.

Barring delays from the government shutdown, SpaceX is planning its test for Thursday, January 17.

"If those go well, sometime mid to late summer, we should see U.S. astronauts leaving again, which will be spectacular for Florida because the traffic will be terrible," said Ketcham.

Space Florida, a government aerospace economic development organization, is working with FDOT to handle the influx of visitors.

At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, they rerouted traffic to a new entrance for what they anticipate with be a record-breaking year for them.

"All the work that we're doing is in preparation for that as we expect even more guests see and want to be a part of these historic flights," said Rebecca Shireman, the public relations and communications manager at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

And 2019 will also see more of the world's most powerful rockets in action. SpaceX is planning at least two satellite launches of its Falcon Heavy rocket.

United Launch Alliance is also scheduling a couple of Delta IV launches.

Also, a new top-secret rocket manufacturing company, code-named Maricopa, will be unveiled as early as this month as it is just one of many new businesses that are a part of a renaissance on the Space Coast.

"By this time next year, you're going have close to a 1,000 new people working out here," Ketcham said.

NASA will also be celebrating 50 years since the first moon landing this summer.

Special events will commemorate the moment when Neil Armstrong took one giant leap for mankind.