CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Two U.S. senators will hold a major hearing in Cape Canaveral on Monday to try to save the jobs of thousands of space shuttle workers.

Video: Meeting Today On Future Of Space Program

More than 6,000 employees could lose their jobs when the shuttle is retired in 2010.

The Senate's subcommittee on space will hold the hearing inside a Canaveral Port Authority building. The subcommittee includes U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez.

They'll meet to talk about the end of the space shuttle program and how it could affect the nation and local economy.

Experts said there will be a five-year gap before the space shuttle's replacement is ready to fly.

Nelson addressed the same issue earlier this year.

"We don't want to go through what we went through after the shutdown of Apollo," Nelson said.

Kennedy Space Center has about 14,500 employees. Of those, about 8,000 work on the space shuttle.

Hundreds of people are expected to gather and link hands outside the meeting to show support for the space program.

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