What time is the rocket launch? Weather permitting, liftoff from Florida’s Space Coast may be seen from Jacksonville and Daytona to Fort Pierce and West Palm Beach.
Can a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen farther south, in Palm Beach County skies? If the conditions are right, yes!
And when this “so Florida” thing occurs, it’s very Instagram-worthy.
Though rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people from West Palm Beach and Boca Raton can sometimes see this #SoFlorida 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 from the Palm Beach County area.
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.
When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? Monday, May 19, 2025: SpaceX Starlink 12-15
- Mission: SpaceX will launch a payload of Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket into low-Earth orbit, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory.
- Launch window time and day: 11:40 p.m. EDT Monday, May 19, 2025, to 12:46 a.m. Tuesday, May 20, 2025
- Location of rocket launch: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida
- Sonic booms: No
- Trajectory: Southeast
- 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 a Florida rocket launch in Palm Beach County: What does a West Palm Beach rocket launch view look like?
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:
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.