The Treasure Coast may get a peek at a morning rocket launch this week.
In a “so Florida” thing to do, 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.
Rockets launch from “the Cape,” or Cape Canaveral, Florida, area in Brevard County, which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Sometimes, 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. It’s important to note that rocket launch scrubs and delays happen often for a variety of reasons. For live rocket launch coverage, celestial events and space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit (and bookmark) floridatoday.com/space.
September 2025 rocket launch schedule: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA, rocket liftoff calendar for Cape Canaveral
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com.
When is the next rocket launch in Florida? Friday, Sept. 5: SpaceX Starlink 10-57
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the next batch of Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Launch window: 6:56 a.m. to 10:56 a.m. ET Friday, Sept. 5, 2025
Launch location: Launch pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Sonic booms for the Space Coast of Florida (Titusville, Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne area): No
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.
Where can I see a rocket launch in Florida?
In Florida, we can best see a rocket launch 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, a 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.
Where to watch a rocket launch in Indian River County, Florida
Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida (cost to enter)
Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso, Florida
Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking)
South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking)
Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida
Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida
Where to watch a rocket launch in St. Lucie County, Florida
Pierce Inlet State Park, 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce, Florida
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
Herman’s Bay Beach, 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Middle Cove Beach, 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida
Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce, Florida
Walton Rocks Beach, 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida (dog park)
Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
Where to watch a rocket launch in Martin County, Florida
House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida
State Road A1A causeway in Stuart, Florida
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida rocket launch from NASA visible from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce?