- The Falcon Heavy, made up of the first three stages of the Falcon 9 rocket, can be seen in Volusia County, weather permitting and depending on cloud cover.
- Canaveral National Seashore is the closest place to see the liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Godspeed, Falcon Heavy!
SpaceX’s massive rocket — more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 — will potentially lift off this week from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
Can you see a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Daytona Beach or New Smyrna Beach?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches from the neighboring Space Coast may be visible in the Volusia County area.
Here is the June calendar for upcoming rocket launches in Florida.
Below are suggestions for where to watch them and photos of previous rocket launches as seen from the Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange areas of Florida.
Here’s what we know. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.
Florida Missile Launch Calendar:Is there a departure today? Future SpaceX, NASA, ULA missions from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
Is there a missile launch from Florida? Next up is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
What is the SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
Falcon Heavy is the first three stages of the Falcon 9 rocket – which together give three times the height. The Falcon 9 hub is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and payload. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is wrapped in fairing to protect it on its way to space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches the Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these single rockets is 229.6 meters high with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands at the same height. However, it is much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to almost three cars parked bumper to bumper.
How big is the Falcon Heavy? How does the SpaceX Falcon Heavy compare to the Falcon 9 rockets?
The photo galleries attached to this story show scenes of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from Florida’s Space Coast. Depending on the weather and cloud cover, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches can be seen in the Volusia County sky — morning, afternoon or night. The Falcon Heavy has three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket.
Weather Radar for Daytona Beach, Florida. Will weather cancel a rocket launch?
Featured is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Amusement Coast and other parts of Florida.
Live beach webcam for Ormond Beach, Florida
Can’t see the Ormond Beach North webcam? Click on this link
In Volusia County, just north of Brevard County—home to the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station—you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launch.
The best views to see a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look south. Readers have also reported seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended points:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), parking charges may apply. New Smyrna Beach features 17 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and quirky beach town, despite its reputation as the “Shark Bite Capital of the World,” New Smyrna Beach has always been a haven for surfers who come for the waves.
Dinner and departure:Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, the best waterfront restaurants in Volusia County
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach, which is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral Seashore National Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of boardwalk, according to Volusia County site. The riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river near the park can be a great viewing spot for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.
• Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). The Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida’s East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns onto State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill Riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
• Sunrise Park275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich’s Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest National Historic Site211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze Park250 HH Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.
• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This site has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the City of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launch facilities.
• AC Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the city of Oak Hill says.
• Bird Watching Fort on River Road opposite the AC Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation deck.
Photo of the rocket launch from Port Orange, Florida
Photos of the rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Photos of the rocket launch from Daytona Beach, Florida
Photo of the rocket launch from Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for the USA TODAY-Florida Network. Follow him I tweet or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
