SpaceX morning rocket launch may be visible from Sebastian, Vero Beach: What to know

A SpaceX rocket is potentially scheduled for liftoff − just before the weekend.

The space agency will send two Maxar WorldView satellites to space via a Falcon 9 rocket launch.

Below are suggestions on where to watch it from this area, a real-time weather radar to check for rainy conditions and other things to know. If there are changes to the launch schedule, this story will be updated. For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Is there a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule from Florida

Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Sebastian, Vero Beach or Stuart, Florida?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches − especially night ones − from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area, particularly from Sebastian Inlet, Vero Beach or other parts of Indian River County.

Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next is Thursday, August 15: SpaceX Maxar Worldview

Though SpaceX has yet to announce this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning indicates a Falcon 9 will launch two Maxar Intelligence WorldView Legion satellites Thursday, Aug. 15, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

  • Launch window: 9 a.m. to 12:28 p.m. EDT Thursday, Aug. 15

  • Location: Launch Complex 40

  • Live coverage: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Weather radar for Port St. Lucie, Florida. Will weather cancel a rocket launch?

Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County) and other parts of Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.

Where to see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County? What does Treasure Coast rocket launch view look like?

The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes Melbourne Beach, which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.

Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso

Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)

South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)

Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach

Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach

Fort Pierce Inlet, 905 Shorewinds Drive

Blind Creek Beachside North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce

Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce

Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

Middle Cove Beach, 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach

Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce,

Walton Rocks Beach, which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart

State Road A1A causeway in Stuart

Rocket launch photos from Vero Beach, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rose into the night sky for an on-time liftoff of 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 on May 17, 2024. The rocket launch is seen from the Vero Beach High School commencement ceremony. Onboard is the next batch of Starlink satellites, Starlink 6-59.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rose into the night sky for an on-time liftoff of 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 on May 17, 2024. The rocket launch is seen from the Vero Beach High School commencement ceremony. Onboard is the next batch of Starlink satellites, Starlink 6-59.

Rocket launch photo from Stuart, Florida

Rocket launch photos from Jensen Beach, Florida

Chris Spain photographed the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch Feb. 2, 2019, from Jensen Beach.
Chris Spain photographed the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch Feb. 2, 2019, from Jensen Beach.
Sandra Roeder photographed an early morning rocket launch from her balcony Dec. 10, 2019, in Jensen Beach with her iPhone.
Sandra Roeder photographed an early morning rocket launch from her balcony Dec. 10, 2019, in Jensen Beach with her iPhone.

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Rocket launch in Florida: How to watch in Vero Beach, Sebastian

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