Now Reading: What time is SpaceX rocket launch near NASA and Kennedy Space Center?
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What time is SpaceX rocket launch near NASA and Kennedy Space Center?
What time is SpaceX rocket launch near NASA and Kennedy Space Center?
- Watching a rocket launch while at the beach is SO Florida. It’s a popular hashtag on Instagram, too.
- On the Space Coast of Florida, there’s typically a rumble after a rocket launch and sometimes windows shake.
- Rocket launches from Florida happen at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station or NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
A late-night rocket launch in semi-cool and semi-breezy Florida? That’s the (potential) plan!
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows. Launch time and day for SpaceX is possibly sometime after midnight Saturday, Feb. 15 (see below).
Rockets launch from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Brevard County, which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Depending on cloud cover, weather and visibility, people from Daytona Beach to Titusville to Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach might see a nice streak in the sky — given the proximity to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Below are suggestions on where to watch the rocket launch from this area and other things to know. If there are changes to the launch schedule, this story will be updated.
Rocket launch calendar:Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Repoter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Where can I see a rocket launch in Florida? Are there sonic booms with every launch from Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, rocket launches from the Space Coast could be visible from almost every part of Brevard County. Night launches, in particular, offer a beautiful view. After launch, there’s typically a rumble here and some possible window-shaking.
Some rocket launches have an added bonus: The SpaceX boosters return to a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean or, occasionally, to the company’s landing zone at Cape Canaveral. If a booster returns to the landing zone, there’s a sonic boom.
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.
What time is the next rocket launch from Florida? Saturday, February 15: SpaceX Starlink 12-8
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift another payload of Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.
- Launch window: Midnight (12 a.m.) to 3:59 a.m. EDT Saturday, Feb. 15
- Location: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will attempt liftoff from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Sonic booms: No
- Trajectory: Southeast
- Live coverage starts 90 minutes 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 and SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch livestream at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes 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.
Live weather radar: Will it rain in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch?
Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast, Brevard County, Orlando and other parts of Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.
Where to watch SpaceX rocket launch from Space Coast of Florida
Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.
If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.
If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.
Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline, (you can even see the pad from some spots).
Some hotspots to check out:
- Jetty Park Beach and Pier, 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there’s a charge to park.
- Playalinda Beach, 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there’s a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn’t always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
- Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park, 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
- Space View Park, 8 Broad St., Titusville
- Sand Point Park, 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
- Rotary Riverfront Park, 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
- Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village, 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway)
- Cocoa Village, near the parks and shops or near the docks
- Various parks on Merritt Island
- Rotary Park, 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
- Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island
- Port Canaveral, with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean at port
- Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
- Cocoa Beach Pier, 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
- Lori Wilson Park, 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
- Sidney Fischer Park, 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
- Downtown Cocoa Beach, along Minutemen Causeway
- Tables Beach, 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach
- The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach
- Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach
- Pineda Causeway
- Eau Gallie Causeway
- Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne
- Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A
- Paradise Beach Park, aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park)
- Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
Where to see a rocket launch in Vero Beach, Indian River County, Florida: What does Treasure Coast rocket launch view look like?
The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north.
• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes south Melbourne Beach, which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach
• Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
• Fort Pierce Inlet, 905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beachside North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman’s Bay Beach, 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove Beach, 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce
• Walton Rocks Beach, which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
• State Road A1A causeway in Stuart
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 is 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
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
