A late-night
rocket launch from Florida is on the horizon
— and if you’re on the First Coast, it’ll be a sight to see.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially carry another satellite into low-Earth orbit.
Rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, a
rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast
could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach to as far south as Vero Beach and 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 about the SpaceX rocket launch in Florida and suggestions on where to watch them from here.
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 from Florida? Sunday, July 13: SpaceX GTO-1
-
Mission:
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will send an Israeli geostationary communications satellite into orbit, the Space Coast Office of Tourism reported. -
Launch window:
12:31 a.m. to 5:14 a.m. ET Sunday, July 13, 2025 -
Launch location:
Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida -
Sonic booms for Space Coast of Florida (Merritt Island, Melbourne area):
TBA -
Trajectory
: Due east -
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, 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 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 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
. Follow her on
Twitter
or Instagram at
@byjensangalang
. Support local journalism.
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.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal:
Late-night SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: Where to watch from Daytona, New Smyrna Beach
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