A late-night
rocket launch from Florida is on the horizon
— and if you’re on the Space 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.
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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@or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit
/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
/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 /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
/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:
-
Sebastian Inlet Park
, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter) -
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)
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 Florida Today:
Late-night SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: What time is liftoff from Cape Canaveral?
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