Floridians across a wide stretch of the state's coastline will have a chance to catch a rocket in the sky on Monday, Aug. 10, when SpaceX aims to send 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The launch window opens at 10:49 a.m. ET and extends through 2:49 p.m. ET. The rocket will follow a northeast trajectory, and no sonic booms are expected on the Space Coast. Visibility will depend on weather and cloud cover, but the launch could potentially be spotted as far north as Jacksonville Beach — roughly 160 miles from the pad — and, for southeast-trajectory missions in general, as far south as West Palm Beach.
Prime viewing spots along the Space Coast include Space View Park and Parrish Park in Titusville (look east across the Indian River), Playalinda Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (nearly parallel to the launch complex), and Jetty Park Beach and Pier in Port Canaveral. Cocoa Beach options range from the Cocoa Beach Pier to Lori Wilson Park and Alan Shepard Park. Note that several of these locations charge a parking fee.
For those who can't make it out in person, live coverage begins 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space, including a countdown clock and a mobile-friendly live blog. NASA+ content, which includes some launches, is also available free through Prime Video's Live TV section — no Prime subscription required.
Details on this launch were first reported by Florida Today.
