- Falcon Heavy, made up of three Falcon 9 rockets, can be seen from the Treasure Coast weather permitting and depending on cloud cover.
Godspeed, Falcon Heavy!
SpaceX’s mammoth rocket — more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 — will potentially lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this week.
See a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Vero or Stuart Beach, Florida?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches from the neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area.
Below is a calendar of upcoming rocket launches and suggestions for where to watch them from Indian River, Martin County and St. Lucie County. This story will be updated if there are any changes to the launch.
Florida Rocket Launch Calendar:Is it launching today? Upcoming missions by SpaceX, NASA, ULA from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? Next up is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
What is the SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
Falcon Heavy is the three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket, which together give three times the lift. The center Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and payload above. The payload, in this case a NOAA satellite, is enclosed in aerodynamic shrouds to protect it on its way into space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches the Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these individual rockets is 229.6 feet tall with a second stage and 12 feet in diameter.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands at the same height. However, it is much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to nearly three cars parked bumper to bumper.
How big is the Falcon Heavy? How does the SpaceX Falcon Heavy compare to the Falcon 9 rockets?
The photo gallery attached to this story shows scenes of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch (morning, afternoon or evening) from Florida’s Space Coast. Depending on the weather and cloud cover, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches can be seen in the Treasure Coast sky — morning, afternoon or night from parts of Indian River County, Martin County or St. Lucie County. (The Falcon Heavy has three Falcon 9 rocket first stages.)
Weather Radar for Port St. Lucia, Florida. Will the weather cancel the rocket launch?
The National Weather Service-Melbourne radar is shown, showing real-time conditions for the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County) and other parts of Florida.
Where to see the Florida Rockets launch in Indian River County? What does the view of the launch of the Treasure Coast rocket look like?
The best view to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, or the Space Coast, is along the beach here. Visibility in Indian River counties, St. Lucia and Martin County, which is part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure they don’t block traffic or the right-of-way on bridges and follow posted rules on beaches. Look directly north. Here are some recommended locations, from the closest Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to the farthest:
• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard has a view of a rocket launch. It includes Melbourne Beachwhich borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Sebastian Inlet Park9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (admission fee)
• Wabasso Beach Park1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands Beach Park12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge at Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge at Vero Beach
• Fort Pierce Inlet905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beach North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park Beachside9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman’s Bay Beach7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park Beachside3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove Beach4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy Beach at Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park Beach3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce,
• Walton Rocks Beachwhich has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• House of refuge and beach301 SE MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
• Road national road A1A in Stuart
Photo of a rocket launch from Vero Beach, Florida
Shot of the rocket launch from Stuart, Florida
Photo of a rocket launch from Jensen Beach, Florida
Sangalang is the lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to Florida Newspapers.