Anyone up for dinner and a rocket launch? SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will potentially lift off Tuesday night carrying Starlink Internet satellites.
Weather permitting, the rocket launch will be visible in the sky over Volusia County on the night of Tuesday, June 4. Below is a calendar of upcoming rocket launches and how to watch a SpaceX rocket launch this weekend.
Is there a rocket launch in Florida today? Rocket launch calendar for Florida missions
Here’s what we know about the rocket missions mentioned in FLORIDA TODAY’s calendar of rocket launches for the month, which is updated frequently. (Check this link often for rocket launch times and dates, as they routinely change for various reasons.)
FLORIDA TODAY, the USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides interactive launch coverage at floridatoday.com/space with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email or tweet Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com @rickneale1 on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.
Is SpaceX launching from Florida? Tuesday, June 4: SpaceX Starlink
A navigational warning from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency indicates that the launch window for SpaceX’s next Starlink mission from the Space Coast will open on Tuesday evening.
Here are some details about the upcoming launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket:
- Mission: According to Geospatial and FAA information, it will be the Starlink 8-5 mission.
- Launch: From 8:04 PM to 11:58 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 4th
- Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Trajectory: southeast
- Live Streaming: Starts 90 minutes before launch at floridatoday.com/space.
Where can I watch a SpaceX rocket launch online?
For live coverage of the rocket launch, FLORIDA TODAY’s space team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space beginning about 90 minutes before launch. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or write floridatoday.com/space to your browser.
In Volusia County, just north of Brevard County—home of 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 view to watch the rocket launch from here is along the beach. Look directly south. Readers also mentioned seeing rocket launches from New Smyrna, Daytona and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended places:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), there may be parking costs. New Smyrna Beach offers 27 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and quaint 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 start:Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, the best waterfront restaurant 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 National Marine Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of beach boardwalk, according to the Volusia County website. A nearby riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, a 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 and Brevard counties. To get to Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to Exit 249, then go east until it turns onto State Highway A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill Waterfront 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. Amenities 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. Amenities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill. The site has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the City of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and a kayak launch facility.
• AC Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, according to the city of Oak Hill.
• Bird watching pier on River Road across from the AC Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Amenities 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 rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1