Anyone up for dinner and a rocket launch? A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially lift off Tuesday night carrying the Starlink Internet satellites.
Weather permitting, the rocket launch will be visible in the sky above Volusia County on the night of Tuesday, June 4. Below is a calendar for upcoming rocket launches and how to watch this weekend’s SpaceX rocket launch.
Is there a rocket launch today in Florida? Rocket launch calendar for Florida missions
Here’s what we know about the rocket launch missions featured in the month’s FLORIDA TODAY rocket launch calendar, which is updated frequently. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates as they are routinely subject to change for various reasons.)
FLORIDA TODAY, the USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides 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 rneale@floridatoday.com or tweet him @rickneale1 on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.
Is SpaceX starting from Florida? Tuesday, June 4: SpaceX Starlink
A navigational alert from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency indicates that the launch window will open Tuesday night for SpaceX’s next Starlink mission from the Space Coast.
Here are some details about the upcoming launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket:
- Mission: According to Geospatial and FAA advice, this will be a Starlink 8-5 mission.
- Starting: 8:04 PM to 11:58 PM EDT on Tuesday, June 4th
- Place: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Path: southeast
- Live broadcast: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?
If you would like to watch live coverage of the rocket launch, the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space, beginning approximately 90 minutes prior to launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into 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 view to watch the rocket launch is from here along the beach. Look south. Readers also mentioned seeing rocket launches from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended places:
• New Smyrna South Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), parking fees may apply. New Smyrna Beach has 27 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and lovely 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 launch: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, located 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 along the beach, according to the website Volusia County page. The nearby riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, ball fields, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, a fishing pier and restrooms. The river next to the park can be a great place to watch 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 head 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. 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. This location has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the City of Oak Hill’s online listings. Amenities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launch facilities.
• AC Delbert Dewees City Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Amenities include a 520-foot observation deck with two covered decks and seating, according to the Oak Hill city site.
• Bird watching pier on River Road across from the AC Delbert City Pier (see above). Amenities include a 100-foot observation deck.
Rick Neale is the 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
