- Blue Origin is scheduled to launch its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
- The rocket will carry NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft, which is destined for the Martian magnetosphere.
- Depending on weather and cloud cover, NASA Blue Origin launch may be visible in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Godspeed, Blue Origin! This headlining rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled to lift off after previous attempts Nov. 9 and Nov. 12.
On Thursday, Nov. 13, Blue Origin’s second New Glenn rocket (one of the largest active rockets in the world) is scheduled to launch NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft, which will loiter for a year before igniting engines and traveling to Mars.
And as a bonus, the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket may be visible far beyond the launch pad in Cape Canaveral and possibly in other states. See New Glenn rocket launch visibility map below.
Though rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people from Volusia County can sometimes see this phenomenon.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach.
When there’s a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.
Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida and suggestions on where to watch it from the Fun Coast.
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? Thursday, November 13: NASA Blue Origin ESCAPADE
- Mission: Blue Origin will launch its second powerhouse New Glenn rocket on the NG-2 mission, sending NASA’s twin ESCAPADE spacecraft en route to study the Martian magnetosphere.
- Launch window: After previous attempts on Nov. 9 and Wednesday, Nov. 12, Blue Origin announced a new time and day: 2:57 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. ET Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.
- Trajectory: Easterly
- Location: Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Sonic booms: No
- Live coverage starts two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting two hours before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where to see Florida rocket launch in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach area
In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County — home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launch. The best views to watch a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look due south. Recommended spots:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore)
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park.
• Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida’s East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
• Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich’s Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest national historic site, 211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze Park, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill
• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
• A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill
• Bird Observation Pier on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above)
• Rose Bay in Port Orange, Florida
• beaches along New Smyrna Beach, Florida
• New Smyrna Beach Inlet, New Smyrna Beach lifeguard station
• Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach, Florida
• Ormond-by-the-Sea in Ormond Beach, Florida
• George R. Kennedy Memorial Park in Edgewater, Florida
