ULA rocket launch from Florida may be visible in Fort Myers, Cape Coral
It's rare when cities on the West Coast of Florida can see a rocket launch in the sky.
Enter United Launch Alliance's mighty Vulcan rocket.
The space agency will launch its third Vulcan rocket into space carrying two U.S. national security satellites − and it's possible people can see the massive rocket far outside of Florida, including Fort Myers and parts of Lee County.
When ULA launches its Vulcan rocket, depending on cloud cover, Floridians (and visitors) as far as Jacksonville, Cape Coral and Miami could see it light up the sky after liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Visibility from most of Florida is possible, according to ULA.
What's on board ULA Atlas V? Equipped with four solid rocket boosters, ULA's third Vulcan rocket will launch two U.S. national security satellites into geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth.
On Aug. 7, the space agency released a movie poster promoting the ULA Vulcan rocket launch complete with taglines, "Precision. Power. Purpose." and "national security begins at liftoff." The company released a movie trailer that day, too. The movie poster, movie trailer and mission patch, for the "ULA Vulcan USSF-106" mission feature a strong, god-like figure wielding a hammer (like Marvel's Thor), all with the same message: Coming soon, Aug. 12, 2025.
A day ahead of liftoff, ULA continued with its heavy social media promotion, posting photos and video of the rocket rollout to the launch pad.
Business is booming: Florida's Space Coast is one of fastest-growing economies in U.S.
In Florida, we can best see this moment in person, particularly if you're anywhere on the Space Coast (Melbourne, Florida area), the Fun Coast (Daytona Beach area) or the Treasure Coast (Vero Beach, Jensen Beach and Fort Pierce). 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.
The ULA Vulcan rocket launch is extra special because of the potential to see it far beyond the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. In the past, readers have submitted photos or posted on social platforms pictures of SpaceX Falcon Heavy, which is made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, visible from Myrtle Beach. Other rocket launches have been spotted in New Jersey and Georgia.
ULA's Vulcan rocket could be visible for most of Florida pending weather and clouds.
Below is information on ULA's powerful rocket, the Vulcan, how to watch the rocket launch and suggestions on where to watch it from Florida and beyond.
Rocket launches in Florida (a big list): Here's a roundup of all 2025 missions from Cape Canaveral and NASA's Kennedy Space Center
When is the next rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida? Tuesday, August 12: United Launch Alliance USSF-106
Mission: Equipped with four solid rocket boosters, ULA's third Vulcan rocket will launch two U.S. national security satellites into geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth.
Launch window: 7:59 p.m. to 8:59 p.m. ET Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
Trajectory: Due east
Launch location: Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Sonic booms: No
Live coverage starts two hours before liftoff at : 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 two hours before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type into your browser.
ULA Vulcan rocket launch photos in Florida: How big is Vulcan?
Where in Florida can I watch ULA Vulcan liftoff, rocket launch in person?
In Florida, we can best see this moment 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). However, people in Jacksonville, far north of Cape Canaveral, and West Palm Beach, far south of Cape Canaveral, have posted rocket launch photos and video on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. Pro tip: If you do watch it in person, especially on Florida's Space Coast, get to your viewing destination early and prepare to stay later after the launch because of heavy traffic.
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.
Where to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch in Daytona Beach area of Florida
List of Brevard County cities to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Where to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch from Treasure Coast of Florida
Where to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch from West Palm Beach area of Florida
Where to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch in Jacksonville, Florida
Live weather radar: Will it rain in Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch near NASA and Kennedy Space Center?
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.
Which cities can see ULA Vulcan rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida? Can I watch ULA rocket launch from Florida?
ULA provided a helpful graphic (see above) that shows the Vulcan rocket launch and its intended flight path and launch visibility. Its trajectory is due east. Note: Cities in the Space Coast of Florida, which is in Brevard County and measures 72 miles of coast, include Titusville, Mims, Port St. John, Merritt Island, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, West Melbourne, Palm Bay, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Grant-Valkaria and Sebastian.
Launch, Space Coast, east Orlando, near University of Central Florida, Bithlo, the northern part of the Treasure Coast, Indian River County, Sebastian, Vero Beach, parts of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill
1: Launch + 30 seconds, which includes solid rocket booster jettison, Space Coast, Orlando, the Treasure Coast, Indian River County, Sebastian, Vero Beach, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill, Volusia County, St. Augustine, Ocala, Lakeland area
2: Launch + 90 seconds, Space Coast, Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill, Port Orange, Volusia County, Treasure Coast, Indian River County, Martin County, St. Lucie County, Orlando, Sanford, Kissimmee, Central Florida, Ocala, Lakeland, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, parts of the Caribbean, the Bahamas
3: Launch + 150 seconds, which includes PLF Jettison (or jettison of the payload fairing) and booster separation, visibility extends to Sebring, Winter Haven, Palatka, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Collier County, Lee County, Clearwater, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Wellington, Jupiter, Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, possibly the coast of southern Georgia, the Caribbean, the Bahamas
4: Launch + 210 seconds, Sebring, Winter Haven, Palatka, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Sarasota, Manatee County, Sarasota County, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, Collier County, Lee County, Clearwater; visibility extends beyond Florida to Georgia, South Carolina, parts of North Carolina
5: Launch + 270 seconds, ULA Vulcan rocket launch visibility extends beyond Florida to these other locations:
Turks and Caicos
6: Launch + 330 seconds, ULA Vulcan rocket launch visibility extends beyond Florida to these other locations:
Turks and Caicos
Bermuda
7: Launch + 390 seconds, visibility of Vulcan rocket may be possible here:
Turks and Caicos
Bermuda
The above guidelines are estimates based on the graphic provided by ULA.
How to watch ULA Vulcan rocket launch from Cape Canaveral Florida, what time does ULA Vulcan liftoff? How to watch online, from your phone, iPad or tablet with USA TODAY Network Space Team coverage
When and where: Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, kicks off two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space (you can type this on your browser on your phone) and will feature in-depth coverage. Ask our FLORIDA TODAY space team reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards questions and strike up a conversation. You also can watch coverage via the FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type into your browser. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network.
Click here to download FLORIDA TODAY app on App Store
Click here to download FLORIDA TODAY app on Google Play
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida rocket launch map: Will ULA Vulcan be seen in Fort Myers?
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
14 minutes ago
- CBS News
Bright lights seen in the sky across western Pennsylvania believed to be Florida rocket launch
Overnight, several viewers reached out to KDKA-TV about a strange sighting in the sky across several areas. Whether it was Westmoreland County or Butler County, something seemed to light up the sky. This obviously brings up plenty of questions, including "what was that?" Well, a check with the KDKA First Alert Weather Team launched a theory! According to them, a space rocket was launched right around the same time in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The United Launch Alliance launched its first operational Vulcan rocket on Tuesday, which boosted two military satellites into space as part of the first U.S. Space Force-danctioned flight. The launch was part of replacing the Atlas 5 satellite and retired Deltas. It's the Pentagon's first experimental navigation satellite since the 1970s.
CNN
44 minutes ago
- CNN
The perfectly fine, already-paid-for satellites Trump wants to destroy in a fiery atmospheric reentry
Space programs Climate change Donald Trump Federal agencies FacebookTweetLink NASA is planning to decommission premier satellite missions that gather information on planet-warming pollution and other climate vital signs beginning as soon as October, sources inside and outside of the agency told CNN. The destruction of the satellites — which will be abandoned and allowed to eventually burn up in a fiery descent into Earth's atmosphere — marks the latest step by the Trump administration to scale back federal climate science. President Donald Trump's budget proposal takes a hatchet to NASA's Earth science spending for fiscal year 2026, which begins in October. The greenhouse gas monitoring missions, known collectively as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, are some of the many Earth science casualties in the proposal. Other satellites and instruments on the chopping block include the long-lived Aqua satellite, which carries a high-resolution Earth imaging instrument called MODIS, that among other uses, helps detect wildfires worldwide. Also at risk are the Terra and Aura missions, each of which have climate science applications, and planned satellites that would precisely measure solar radiation, heavy precipitation and clouds. While the Trump administration says it is looking to end the OCO and other missions to cut costs, scientists involved in the projects see an anti-climate science pattern at work. Congress is still considering Trump's budget request and may reject some, or all, of the Earth science cuts, but NASA is proceeding as if the White House spending blueprint will be implemented as-written. David Crisp, a former NASA scientist who worked on the OCO missions and managed them until he retired in 2022, confirmed the decommissioning planning for OCO-2 and OCO-3. Other sources, including one NASA employee, also confirmed this plan, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't approved to discuss the issue. NASA calls a mission's closeout phase — the period when the program team works out how to end it — 'Phase F.' The Phase F state of planning for the OCO missions was first reported by NPR. In response to questions from CNN, a NASA spokesperson pointed to Trump's budget request. 'It would not be appropriate for us to comment at this time as the budget process is still happening. Should the budget pass as proposed — it still needs to make its way through Congress — this will be implemented upon the start of the next fiscal year.' Together, the OCO-2, a freestanding satellite, and OCO-3, which is mounted on the International Space Station, measure the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, specifically sniffing out climate pollution. The OCO missions are particularly useful for tracking fossil fuel and ecosystem-related emissions, scientists told CNN. The instruments also help scientists monitor plant productivity — critical for farmers and the researchers studying forest loss. While OCO-3 could be switched off and remain attached to the ISS, perhaps to be turned on again in the future, the decommissioning process for OCO-2 is far more complicated — and fiery. The satellite would be moved into a much lower orbit and exist there as space junk for years until it burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. The purposeful abandonment or destruction of multimillion-dollar satellites and instruments is essentially unprecedented, scientists told CNN. They are particularly baffled by the decision to destroy OCO-2, given it already has enough fuel on it to last through 2040. The OCO missions are still functioning and are thought to have many years left of data-gathering, in addition to the fuel onboard, which has already been bought by American taxpayers. It is not business as usual to shut off working satellites without conducting a comprehensive review, sources told CNN, nor is it typical to kill functional spacecraft that can cost billions to put into space in the first place. 'The reality is that as long as these instruments are producing high-quality data, it's essentially unheard of to decommission the satellites, because keeping them going is so cheap compared to building them and launching them in the first place,' Anna Michalak, a climate researcher at Carnegie Science and Stanford University who works with greenhouse gas emissions data, told CNN. The OCO missions are important for other countries, too, since they also use the data, Michalak said: 'It's not just that these are the only two NASA-funded missions. It's that these have been the most impactful missions in this space, globally, period.' Losing the OCO missions would hurt US leadership in climate science and create a multiyear gap in space-based climate pollution measurements, said Ben Poulter of Spark Climate Solutions, a nonprofit focused on climate risks and innovative fixes. Poulter was previously a NASA scientist and helped lead greenhouse gas monitoring efforts for the Biden administration. 'Losing these satellites prematurely gives away the leadership to Europe and to China in terms of monitoring CO2 concentrations and emissions,' Poulter said. Prematurely ending the OCO missions is consistent with the perception that the Trump administration 'doesn't want to do anything related to climate science and climate services,' he added. Crisp, the former NASA scientist, also told CNN that decommissioning so many Earth science missions at the same time fits a pattern. 'My guess is that they perceive these missions as missions that were designed for climate, for reinforcing climate hysteria or something,' Crisp said of the Trump administration. 'They think these missions were designed for a regulatory reason, for example. But I want to point out NASA is not a regulatory agency.' There are at least two possibilities for saving the carbon observatory mission, though researchers are not optimistic about either one coming to fruition. The first is Congress. Lawmakers could reject Trump's proposal and offer NASA the budget it needs to maintain US climate and Earth science status quo. Trump would also have to sign such a bill. The second possibility is to create a public-private partnership that pays the expenses for maintaining these instruments and processing the data back on Earth. This could take the form of a philanthropic organization, a wealthy individual or perhaps a university taking over OCO-2 or OCO-3, or perhaps both, for a period of time. The space agency has already issued a call for partnerships for OCO-3, and it is expected to put out a similar call for operating OCO-2 at some point this week, multiple researchers who work with OCO data said. 'There's this scramble to see what can be done before any sort of decommissioning or Phase F protocols go into effect later this year,' Poulter said. However, involving the private sector in operating OCO or other Earth-observing satellites can present complications, Michalak said, as it could diminish NASA's role in providing an accurate backbone of Earth observations. As the search for a partnership to save OCO-2 and OCO-3 begins, NASA only has less than two months to figure out how to keep the missions going.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
The perfectly fine, already-paid-for satellites Trump wants to destroy in a fiery atmospheric reentry
NASA is planning to decommission premier satellite missions that gather information on planet-warming pollution and other climate vital signs beginning as soon as October, sources inside and outside of the agency told CNN. The destruction of the satellites — which will be abandoned and allowed to eventually burn up in a fiery descent into Earth's atmosphere — marks the latest step by the Trump administration to scale back federal climate science. President Donald Trump's budget proposal takes a hatchet to NASA's Earth science spending for fiscal year 2026, which begins in October. The greenhouse gas monitoring missions, known collectively as the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, are some of the many Earth science casualties in the proposal. Other satellites and instruments on the chopping block include the long-lived Aqua satellite, which carries a high-resolution Earth imaging instrument called MODIS, that among other uses, helps detect wildfires worldwide. Also at risk are the Terra and Aura missions, each of which have climate science applications, and planned satellites that would precisely measure solar radiation, heavy precipitation and clouds. While the Trump administration says it is looking to end the OCO and other missions to cut costs, scientists involved in the projects see an anti-climate science pattern at work. Congress is still considering Trump's budget request and may reject some, or all, of the Earth science cuts, but NASA is proceeding as if the White House spending blueprint will be implemented as-written. David Crisp, a former NASA scientist who worked on the OCO missions and managed them until he retired in 2022, confirmed the decommissioning planning for OCO-2 and OCO-3. Other sources, including one NASA employee, also confirmed this plan, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't approved to discuss the issue. NASA calls a mission's closeout phase — the period when the program team works out how to end it — 'Phase F.' The Phase F state of planning for the OCO missions was first reported by NPR. In response to questions from CNN, a NASA spokesperson pointed to Trump's budget request. 'It would not be appropriate for us to comment at this time as the budget process is still happening. Should the budget pass as proposed — it still needs to make its way through Congress — this will be implemented upon the start of the next fiscal year.' Together, the OCO-2, a freestanding satellite, and OCO-3, which is mounted on the International Space Station, measure the composition of the Earth's atmosphere, specifically sniffing out climate pollution. The OCO missions are particularly useful for tracking fossil fuel and ecosystem-related emissions, scientists told CNN. The instruments also help scientists monitor plant productivity — critical for farmers and the researchers studying forest loss. While OCO-3 could be switched off and remain attached to the ISS, perhaps to be turned on again in the future, the decommissioning process for OCO-2 is far more complicated — and fiery. The satellite would be moved into a much lower orbit and exist there as space junk for years until it burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. The purposeful abandonment or destruction of multimillion-dollar satellites and instruments is essentially unprecedented, scientists told CNN. They are particularly baffled by the decision to destroy OCO-2, given it already has enough fuel on it to last through 2040. The OCO missions are still functioning and are thought to have many years left of data-gathering, in addition to the fuel onboard, which has already been bought by American taxpayers. It is not business as usual to shut off working satellites without conducting a comprehensive review, sources told CNN, nor is it typical to kill functional spacecraft that can cost billions to put into space in the first place. 'The reality is that as long as these instruments are producing high-quality data, it's essentially unheard of to decommission the satellites, because keeping them going is so cheap compared to building them and launching them in the first place,' Anna Michalak, a climate researcher at Carnegie Science and Stanford University who works with greenhouse gas emissions data, told CNN. The OCO missions are important for other countries, too, since they also use the data, Michalak said: 'It's not just that these are the only two NASA-funded missions. It's that these have been the most impactful missions in this space, globally, period.' Losing the OCO missions would hurt US leadership in climate science and create a multiyear gap in space-based climate pollution measurements, said Ben Poulter of Spark Climate Solutions, a nonprofit focused on climate risks and innovative fixes. Poulter was previously a NASA scientist and helped lead greenhouse gas monitoring efforts for the Biden administration. 'Losing these satellites prematurely gives away the leadership to Europe and to China in terms of monitoring CO2 concentrations and emissions,' Poulter said. Prematurely ending the OCO missions is consistent with the perception that the Trump administration 'doesn't want to do anything related to climate science and climate services,' he added. Crisp, the former NASA scientist, also told CNN that decommissioning so many Earth science missions at the same time fits a pattern. 'My guess is that they perceive these missions as missions that were designed for climate, for reinforcing climate hysteria or something,' Crisp said of the Trump administration. 'They think these missions were designed for a regulatory reason, for example. But I want to point out NASA is not a regulatory agency.' There are at least two possibilities for saving the carbon observatory mission, though researchers are not optimistic about either one coming to fruition. The first is Congress. Lawmakers could reject Trump's proposal and offer NASA the budget it needs to maintain US climate and Earth science status quo. Trump would also have to sign such a bill. The second possibility is to create a public-private partnership that pays the expenses for maintaining these instruments and processing the data back on Earth. This could take the form of a philanthropic organization, a wealthy individual or perhaps a university taking over OCO-2 or OCO-3, or perhaps both, for a period of time. The space agency has already issued a call for partnerships for OCO-3, and it is expected to put out a similar call for operating OCO-2 at some point this week, multiple researchers who work with OCO data said. 'There's this scramble to see what can be done before any sort of decommissioning or Phase F protocols go into effect later this year,' Poulter said. However, involving the private sector in operating OCO or other Earth-observing satellites can present complications, Michalak said, as it could diminish NASA's role in providing an accurate backbone of Earth observations. As the search for a partnership to save OCO-2 and OCO-3 begins, NASA only has less than two months to figure out how to keep the missions going.
