A rocket launch out of Florida might take place as early as Friday the 13th.
On June 13, SpaceX plans to send a group of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit with a launch from Cape Canaveral.
Here is additional details regarding the SpaceX rocket launches in Florida along with recommendations for viewing locations nearby.
If you have any queries or feedback, contact Florida Today Space Reporter Rick Neale via rneale@floridatoday.com or reach out to Space Reporter Brooke Edwards through bedwards@floridatoday.com. To stay updated with additional space news from the USA TODAY Network, check their website.
floridatoday.com/space
.
When will the upcoming SpaceX Starlink rocket launch occur at Cape Canaveral, Florida for mission Starlink 12-26?
-
Mission:
A Federal Aviation Administration operational guideline reveals that SpaceX plans to launch another group of broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of the continuously growing Starlink network. -
Launch
window:
11:21 AM EDT, Friday, June 13, 2025 -
Launch location:
The launch facility at Complex 40 located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida -
Sonic booms:
No -
Trajectory:
Southeast -
Live coverage begins 90 minutes prior to launch.
floridatoday.com/space
:
You can catch live coverage of rocket launches via USA TODAY Network’s dedicated Space Team, featuring Florida Today’s space correspondents Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards along with visual experts Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark, and Tim Shortt. The Space Team offers real-time reports through an easily accessible mobile live blog equipped with a countdown timer, beginning 90 minutes prior to lift-off at floridatoday.com/space. To stay updated, you may also download the complimentary FLORIDA TODAY application, found either in the App Store or Google Play.
floridatoday.com/space
into your browser.
Real-time weather radar: Is it going to rain in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach, or Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Could the weather disrupt 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 can you watch a Florida rocket launch from Daytona Beach or the New Smyrna Beach area?
In Volusia County, which lies directly north of Brevard County—home to both the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station—you can enjoy an excellent vantage point for observing launches.
A SpaceX, NASA, or United Launch Alliance rocket launch
The finest vantage points for observing a rocket launch from this location are along the shoreline. Face towards the southern direction. Suggested locations include:
•
South New Smyrna Beach
(Canaveral National Seashore)
•
Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park
, 6656 S. Atlantic Avenue, New Smyrna Beach. Located 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and just one mile north of the Apollo Beach entry point into Canaveral National Seashore Park, you’ll find Bethune Beach.
•
Apollo Beach
at
Canaveral National Seashore
(Southern part of New Smyrna Beach) lies the Canaveral National Seashore, which stretches along Florida’s eastern coastline within Volusia County and Brevard County. To reach Apollo Beach, head towards Interstate 95 and take exit 249. Continue traveling east as this road becomes State Road A1A. Keep following SR A1A heading south until you arrive at the park entrance.
•
Oak Hill riverfront
is the
the most southern city located within South Volusia County
.
•
Sunrise Park
, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
•
Goodrich’s Seafood and Oyster House
rear patio, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
•
The Seminole Rest National Historic Site
, 211 River Road, Oak Hill
•
Riverbreeze Park
, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill
•
Mary Dewees Park
, 178 North Gaines Street, Oak Hill
•
Nancy Cummings Park
, 232 Cummings Street, Oak Hill
•
Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park
, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
•
Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier A.C.
, 243 River Road, Oak Hill
•
Bird Observation Pier
Along River Road opposite the A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (referenced earlier)
•
Rose Bay
in Port Orange, Florida
•
beaches
next to New Smyrna Beach, Florida
•
New Smyrna Beach Inlet
, Lifeguard Station at New Smyrna Beach
•
Halifax Harbor Marina
in Daytona Beach, Florida
•
Ormond-by-the-Sea
in Ormond Beach, Florida
•
Kennedy Memorial George R. Park
in Edgewater, Florida
(The narrative has been refreshed with additional details.)
The article initially appeared in The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Rocket Launch in Florida on Friday the 13th: Best Viewing Spots from Daytona to New Smyrna Beach
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