Late-night SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: When is liftoff, where to see in Jacksonville
A late-night rocket launch from Florida is on the horizon.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially carry Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.
Rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, arocket launch from Florida’s Space Coastcould 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 anopportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail aftermakes for a great photo.
Below is more information about the SpaceX rocket launch in Florida and suggestions on where to watch them from here.
Is there a launch today? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected] or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected]. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visitfloridatoday.com/space.
When is the next SpaceX rocket launch from Florida? No earlier than Tuesday, July 8: SpaceX Starlink 10-28
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the next batch of Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates.
Launch window:1:48 a.m. to 6:18 a.m. ET Tuesday, July 8, 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):No
Trajectory: Northeast
Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff atfloridatoday.com/space:You can watch live rocket launch coverage fromUSA 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, atfloridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the freeFLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in theApp StoreorGoogle Play, or typefloridatoday.com/spaceinto 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 see SpaceX liftoff in Jacksonville, can you see a rocket launch from Duval County, Florida?
Depending on trajectory, weather and cloud cover, there have been sightings of a SpaceX Falcon 9, SpaceX Falcon Heavy or United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy rocket launch over the skies of Jacksonville, Florida, which is north of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Where to see a rocket launch in Jacksonville, Florida, area:
Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach and West Atlantic Beach, Florida
Mayport, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which touches south Jacksonville Beach
St. Augustine, Florida, which is less than an hour away
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Florida rocket launch: What time does SpaceX Falcon 9 lift off?
