SpaceX Starlink rocket launch: When is liftoff? Where to watch in Sebastian, Vero Beach
A 'so Florida' thing to do is coming up: a potential SpaceX rocket launch.
A morning launch in semi-cool and semi-breezy Florida could kick off the weekend if things go according to plan for the space agency.
SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket with several Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday, Feb. 21. And depending on weather and visibility, there could be a show in the sky above the Treasure Coast.
Rockets launch from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Brevard County, which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Depending on cloud cover, weather and visibility, people from Daytona Beach to Titusville to Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach might see a nice streak in the sky — given the proximity to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Below are suggestions on where to watch the rocket launch from this area and other things to know. If there are changes to the launch schedule, this story will be updated.
Rocket launch calendar: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
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.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches − especially night launches − from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area, particularly from Sebastian Inlet, Vero Beach or other parts of Indian River County.
Night launches, in particular, offer a beautiful view. 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.
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will lift a payload of Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.
Launch window: 6:31 a.m. to 11:02 a.m. EDT Friday, Feb. 21
Location: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will attempt liftoff from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Sonic booms: No
Trajectory: Southeast
Live coverage starts 90 minutes 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 and SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch livestream at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes 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.
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.
The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north.
• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes Melbourne Beach, which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
• Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach
• Fort Pierce Inlet, 905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beachside North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove Beach, 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce,
• Walton Rocks Beach, which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
• State Road A1A causeway in Stuart
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: SpaceX rocket launch: Best places to see in Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach
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