Florida's Space Coast set a record in 2025 with 109 orbital rocket launches, and 2026 is building its own impressive tally. As of July 20, 47 launches have lifted off from Florida this year, following a spring that included NASA's Artemis II mission — which carried four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans have traveled since the Apollo era on a flyby around the moon.
The pace has eased since that milestone. May and June each saw just six Florida launches, and July has produced only four so far. Blue Origin also suffered a significant setback when its New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sidelining the company from the Eastern Range schedule for the near term.
Looking ahead, space fans have a marquee event to anticipate: a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is slated to launch NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope in August. The Roman telescope mission ranks among the most scientifically significant payloads scheduled from the Space Coast this year.
Visibility for Space Coast launches can be surprisingly broad. Depending on weather, cloud cover, and flight trajectory, rockets are sometimes visible from as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach — and certain launches have even been spotted from Florida's Gulf Coast and neighboring states.
This roundup is based on reporting by Florida Today via Yahoo News.
