Florida's Space Coast is gearing up for a major milestone: a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to lift off from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 7:26 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 30, 2026, carrying NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. A backup window is available Monday, August 31, if needed.
The Roman Space Telescope is a big deal for astronomy fans — it will have a field of view at least 100 times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Falcon Heavy will generate roughly 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff to get it on its way. Residents along the Space Coast near Melbourne and Cocoa Beach should expect sonic booms. Depending on weather and cloud cover, the launch could be visible from as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach, and potentially on Florida's Gulf Coast and in neighboring states.
If you're watching from home or a local vantage point and want to capture the moment, FLORIDA TODAY is accepting reader photo and video submissions for possible publication. To share your footage, fill out the form at gannett-nxuao.formstack.com/forms/brevardugc — include your full name, location, and a brief description of what you captured. Questions can be directed to FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale, Brooke Edwards, or USA TODAY's Eric Lagatta.
Live coverage of the launch begins two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space, where the USA TODAY Network Space Team will run a mobile-friendly live blog with a countdown clock and real-time updates. NASA+ content, including select launch coverage, is also available for free through Amazon Prime Video's FAST channels — no Prime subscription required — as well as on NASA's own website, YouTube, and the NASA mobile app.
This story is based on reporting by Jennifer Sangalang and the USA TODAY Network – Florida.
