Paine was then asked, and agreed, to host protesters as spectators at the launch, and Abernathy, awestruck by the spectacle, prayed for the astronauts.
pˈeɪn wʌz ðˈɛn ˈæskt, ænd ɐɡɹˈiːd, tə hˈoʊst pɹətˈɛstɚz æz spɛktˈeɪɾɚz æt ðə lˈɑːntʃ, ænd ˌæbɚnˈæθi, ˈɔːstɹʌk baɪ ðə spˈɛktəkəl, pɹˈeɪd fɚðɪ ˈæstɹənˌɔːts.