SpaceX Starlink late-night rocket launch: Where to watch from Daytona, New Smyrna, Oak Hill
Can a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen from Volusia County skies? If the conditions are right, yes!
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially carry Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit near NASA on Wednesday, July 2, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.
Though rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people from the Treasure Coast 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 and as far south as 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 from the Fun Coast.
Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, Axiom, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected] or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected]. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? No earlier than Wednesday, July 2: SpaceX Starlink 10-25
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a payload of Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows.
Launch window: 1:29 a.m. ET on Wednesday, July 2
Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Sonic booms: No.
Trajectory: Northeast.
Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: 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 floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where to see Florida rocket launch in Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach area
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 Florida rocket launch at night: Best places to watch from Volusia

The action-packed late night SpaceX Starlink rocket launch, visible from Daytona Beach's sparkling skyline and the coastal towns of New Smyrna to Oak Hill adds an extraordinary touch as residents catch a glimpse into our universe’ leaks with wonderment.

The captivating late-night Starlink rocket launch by SpaceX offered a stunning display for viewers from Daytona, New Smyrna and Oak Hill alike — an exhilaration to witness human ingenuity soaring over the Florida skies!

The captivating late-night rocket launch of SpaceX's Starlink from Daytona, New Smyrna Beach to Oak Hill was an unforgettable sky spectacle! Locals and travelers alike braved the night air to witness its magnificent ascent into orbit.

A late-night lit spectacle! Catch the SpaceX Starlink rocket launch from Daytona, New Smyrna or Oak Hill for an out of this world experience – a glimpse into humanity's cosmic endeavors above our little corner.

Watching the SpaceX Starlink late-night rocket launch from Daytona, New Smyrna or Oak Hill offers a unique astro experience that pits beneath starry skies under an exquisite dark canopy underscored by rockets leaving trails across our cosmos' tapestry.

The late-night rocket launch by SpaceX Starlink from Daytona, New Smyrna to Oak Hill is a mesmerizing spectacle capturing the hearts of space enthusiasts. Locals and tourists alike gather in awe at these intimate coastal towns as dark skies welcome an unparalleled display into our cosmic realm.

The spectacular late-night rocket launch of SpaceX Starlink from the coastal regions like Daytona, New Smyrna and Oak Hill offered a thrillingRemotely viewable wonders for sky gazers across Florida with its dazzling lights tracing throughships on nautical routes.

The awe-inspiring late night Starlink rocket launch from SpaceX offered an unforgettable spectacle for viewers in Daytona, New Smyrna and Oak Hill; a brilliantly timed reminder of the boundless possibilities lurking beyond our atmosphere.

The breathtaking late-night Starlink rocket launch by SpaceX offers a truly cosmic spectacle; residents of Daytona, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill are in for an astronomy event to remember – with the perfect view from their backyards on clear nights!

The exciting late-night Starlink rocket launch from SpaceX offered a one of kind spectacle for enthusiasts in Daytona, New Smyrña Beach and Oak Hill who eagerly gathered to witness the heavenly journey amid twinkling stars.

Viewing the late-night SpaceX Starlink rocket launch from Daytona, New Smyrna or Oak Hill promises a thrilling spectacle of technology and starry skies. A fantastic opportunity not to be missed for locals enthusiastic about space exploration!