SpaceX is set to kick off the workweek with a Falcon 9 rocket launch from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday, August 10, 2026. The four-hour launch window runs from 10:49 a.m. to 2:49 p.m. ET, with the mission carrying 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit on a northeast trajectory. No sonic booms are expected for Space Coast residents.
Because the trajectory heads northeast, the launch could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach — roughly 160 miles and about two and a half hours from the launch pad. Volusia County residents are particularly well-positioned for a view: beaches along New Smyrna Beach, Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, and Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore are among the recommended spots for looking due south toward the launch site. Daytona Beach's Halifax Harbor Marina and Ormond-by-the-Sea in Ormond Beach are also solid options.
If you'd rather watch from a riverfront perch, Oak Hill — the southernmost city in South Volusia County — offers multiple viewing locations, including Riverbreeze Park, Sunrise Park, and the A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, all along or near River Road.
For those staying home, live coverage begins 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space, where the USA TODAY Network Space Team will run a mobile-friendly live blog with a countdown clock. NASA+ content is also available free through Prime Video's Live TV section — no Prime subscription required — as well as through NASA's own website, YouTube channel, and mobile app.
Details on the launch and viewing guide were reported by the USA TODAY Network – Florida.
