SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: What time is liftoff? Where to watch in West Palm Beach

A late-night weekend rocket launch in beautiful, breezy, springtime Florida? That's the (potential) plan!

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will carry Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit near NASA, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows. Launch time and day for SpaceX is possibly after midnight (see below).

Rockets launch from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Brevard County, which is an hour east of the Orlando theme parks. Depending on cloud cover, weather and visibility, people from Daytona Beach to Titusville to Melbourne Beach and Vero Beach might see a nice streak in the sky — given the proximity to NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Below are suggestions on where to watch the rocket launch from this area 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 or Space Repoter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Where can I see a rocket launch in Florida? Are there sonic booms with every launch from Cape Canaveral or Kennedy Space Center?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, rocket launches from the Space Coast could be visible from almost every part of Brevard County. Night launches, in particular, offer a beautiful view. After launch, there’s typically a rumble here and some possible window-shaking.

Some rocket launches have an added bonus: The SpaceX boosters return to a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean or, occasionally, to the company's landing zone at Cape Canaveral. If a booster returns to the landing zone, there's a sonic boom.

When there’s a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.

What time is the next rocket launch from Florida? Saturday, May 10: SpaceX Starlink 6-91

• Mission: Though SpaceX has yet to publicly announce this mission, a 4½-hour Starlink post-midnight launch window will open Saturday, May 10, 2025, a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory indicates.
• Launch window time and day: 2:28 a.m. EDT Saturday, May 10, 2025, to 6:59 a.m. EDT Sunday, May 11, 2025, or Mother's Day
• Location of rocket launch: Launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida
• Sonic booms: No
• Trajectory: Southeast
• Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: 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, complete with a countdown clock, 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.

Live weather radar: Will it rain in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch?

Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast, Brevard County, Orlando 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 Palm Beach County: What does a West Palm Beach rocket launch view look like?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, some rocket launches from the Space Coast can be visible in Palm Beach County. When there’s a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, with a southeast trajectory, there’s an opportunity for unique photos. Some examples include United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket launch and SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

From Cape Canaveral, Florida, to West Palm Beach, Florida, it's about 150 miles.

What the views look like: Rocket launches from Cape Canaveral spotted in West Palm Beach

Rocket launches from Cape Canaveral can often be seen from Palm Beach County, and it can be as easy as walking out of your house and looking north. Try to get away from any obstructions, such as trees, tall buildings, and bright lights. Obviously, cloud cover can also get in the way. 

If the forecast is for clear skies and you want a better view, some good places to watch the rocket launch from Palm Beach County include:

• Juno Beach Pier: 14775 U.S. 1, Juno Beach 
• South Cove Natural Area boardwalk: Downtown West Palm Beach, 620 South Flagler Drive
• Town of Palm Beach's Midtown beach: 300 block of South Ocean Boulevard
• Bingham Island: If you don't know, this is the island that connects Palm Beach and West Palm Beach on Southern Boulevard (near Mar-a-Lago, Trump's private club known as the Winter White House or Southern White House). There's a bridge with a pedestrian walkway over Bingham Island, on Southern Boulevard.
• Lake Worth Pier: 10 South Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth Beach 
• Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge: 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach 
• South Beach Park: 400 N. State Road A1A, Boca Raton

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