SpaceX rocket to launch GPS satellite from Florida for the Space Force. When is liftoff?
A rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is on the horizon — and when this 'so Florida' thing occurs, it's very Instagram-worthy.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially launch a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force on Friday, May 30.
Though rockets here blast off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, people beyond the Space Coast can sometimes see this phenomenon.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, a rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast could be visible from Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach to Vero Beach and West Palm Beach (see videos and photo gallery with this story). 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.
Rocket launch tally: Here's a list of all 2025 missions from Cape Canaveral, Florida (psst, there's a lot)
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: SpaceX will launch a Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite for the Space Force's Space Systems Command atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
Launch window: 1:23 p.m. to 2:08 p.m. ET Friday, May 30, 2025
Launch location: Launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida
Sonics booms: TBA
Trajectory: TBA
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, 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.
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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.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, some rocket launches from the Space Coast can be visible in Palm Beach County. When there's a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, with a southeast trajectory, there's an opportunity for unique photos. Some examples include United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket launch and SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
From Cape Canaveral, Florida, to West Palm Beach, Florida, it's about 150 miles.
What the views look like: Rocket launches from Cape Canaveral spotted in West Palm Beach
Rocket launches from Cape Canaveral can often be seen from Palm Beach County, and it can be as easy as walking out of your house and looking north. Try to get away from any obstructions, such as trees, tall buildings, and bright lights. Obviously, cloud cover can also get in the way.
If the forecast is for clear skies and you want a better view, some good places to watch the rocket launch from Palm Beach County include:
: 14775 U.S. 1, Juno Beach
: Downtown West Palm Beach, 620 South Flagler Drive
: 300 block of South Ocean Boulevard
: If you don't know, this is the island that connects Palm Beach and West Palm Beach on Southern Boulevard (near Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club known as the Winter White House or Southern White House). There's a bridge with a pedestrian walkway over Bingham Island, on Southern Boulevard.
: 10 South Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach
: 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach
: 400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida SpaceX rocket launch: What time is liftoff from Cape Canaveral
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