Day or night, watching a rocket launch on the beach is so Florida. But could anyone in Volusia County see a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes. We’ve got suggestions on where and how to watch a rocket launch from Ormond Beach to Oak Hill below if you keep moving.
Here’s what we know about the launch missions featured in FLORIDA TODAY’s frequently updated launch calendar for the month. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates, because they are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.)
FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, offers interactive launch coverage at floridatoday.com/space with frequent launch updates at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected] or tweet him @rickneale1 on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. You can also reach Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or tweet her @brookeofstars on X or Instagram.
When is the next rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida? Saturday, April 27: SpaceX Galileo satellite
Although SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a floating alert from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency indicates that this launch window will open on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Galileo satellites for the European Space Agency’s global navigation system from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
- Boot window: 8:29 PM to 9:11 PM EDT Saturday, April 27, 2024
- Location: Launch Space 39A
- Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Is there a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida? Sunday, April 28: SpaceX Starlink
Although SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a floating alert from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency indicates that this launch window will open on Sunday, April 28, 2024.
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a cluster of Starlink Internet satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Boot window: 5:50 PM to 10:21 PM EDT Sunday, April 28, 2024
- Location: Launch of Complex 40
- Trajectory: EAST
- Local sound boom: No.
- Reinforcement landing: Drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean
- Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?
If you’d like to watch live coverage of the rocket launch, FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space beginning approximately 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or write floridatoday.com/space in your browser.
In Volusia County, just north of Brevard County—home to the 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 see a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look south. Readers have also reported seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended points:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), parking charges may apply. New Smyrna Beach features 17 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and quirky beach town, despite its reputation as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World,” New Smyrna Beach has always been a haven for surfers who come for the waves.
Dinner and departure:Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, the best waterfront restaurants in Volusia County
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach, which is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral Seashore National Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of boardwalk, according to Volusia County site. The riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river near the park can be a great viewing spot for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.
• 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 onto State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill Riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
• Sunrise Park275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich’s Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest National Historic Site211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze Park250 HH Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.
• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This site has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the City of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launch facilities.
• AC Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the city of Oak Hill says.
• Bird Watching Fort on River Road opposite the AC Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation deck.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, Click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
