SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: When is liftoff? Where to see in Sebastian, Vero, Jensen Beach

Rocket launches from Florida occur at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is an hour east of Orlando theme parks.

USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

Depending on weather and cloud cover, Florida rocket launches can typically be seen from Daytona Beach to Melbourne to Vero Beach.
Watching a rocket launch while at the beach is SO Florida. It’s a popular hashtag on Instagram, too.

A “so Florida” thing to do is coming up: a potential SpaceX rocket launch.

SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket with several Starlink satellites into orbit. And depending on weather and visibility, there could be a show in the sky above the Treasure Coast.

Liftoff is tentatively set late Saturday, April 5, if things go according to plan for the space agency.

Rockets launch from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Florida, in neighboring Brevard County, which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Depending on cloud cover, weather and visibility, people from Daytona Beach to Melbourne Beach to 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.

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.

Where can I see a rocket launch in Florida? Can you see liftoff from Vero Beach, Jensen Beach or Fort Pierce?

In Florida, we can best see this historic moment in person if you're anywhere on the Space Coast (Brevard County) or certain spots in the First Coast or Fun Coast (Volusia County) or the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County). Pro tip: If you do watch it in person, get to your viewing destination early and prepare to stay later after the launch because of heavy traffic.

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, this SpaceX rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast could be visible from Daytona Beach to Melbourne to Vero Beach. In some cases, a Falcon 9 rocket launch has been spotted 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.

Can a rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen outside of Florida? Once again depending on weather and on cloud cover, yes. For example, readers have submitted photos or posted on social platforms pictures of Falcon Heavy, which is made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, visible from Myrtle Beach.

A rocket launch can be a treat for the ears, too: On the Space Coast, a “rumble” can be heard or window-shaking can be expected in some parts of Brevard County after liftoff. And 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 is the next rocket launch from Florida? Saturday, April 5, 2025: SpaceX Starlink 6-72

Mission: SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the latest batch of Starlink internet satellites.
Launch time and day: 11:07 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 5
Location: SpaceX will attempt liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Trajectory: Southeast
Live coverage at floridatoday.com: 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 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 a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County: 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. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes Melbourne Beach, which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.

• Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

• 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

• 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