SpaceX-Axiom rocket launch in Florida: Where to watch from Daytona, New Smyrna Beach, Oak Hill
A SpaceX rocket carrying astronauts could blast off from Florida's Space Coast this week.
Can liftoff be seen from Volusia County? If the conditions are right, yes!
Axiom's fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station was originally aiming to launch in late May, but has been delayed several times. Its latest delay on June 13 was due to leaks on the ISS. As of Monday, June 23, a new launch time has been set for Wednesday, June 25.
When it does launch, a SpaceX Dragon capsule with four astronauts in it will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Though rockets launch in Florida from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people in Volusia County can sometimes see this phenomenon.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, a rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast could 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 an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.
Below is more information on rocket launches in Florida and suggestions on where to watch them from the Fun Coast.
Why is the ISS leaking? What to know after SpaceX Axiom's Florida launch delay
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Mission: Axiom Space's fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Launch: 2:31 a.m. ET Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Launch location: Launch Pad 39A from Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Sonic booms in neighboring Space Coast: Yes
Trajectory: Northeast
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.
In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County — home to 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 views to watch a rocket launch from here is along the beach. Look due south. Recommended spots:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore)
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park.
• 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 travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
• Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich's Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest national historic site, 211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze Park, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill
• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
• A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill
• Bird Observation Pier on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above)
• Rose Bay in Port Orange, Florida
• beaches along New Smyrna Beach, Florida
• New Smyrna Beach Inlet, New Smyrna Beach lifeguard station
• Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach, Florida
• Ormond-by-the-Sea in Ormond Beach, Florida
• George R. Kennedy Memorial Park in Edgewater, Florida
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: SpaceX rocket launch at NASA Kennedy Space Center: Top places to watch
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