Is anyone ready to launch a rocket to start the week? A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially lift off this Monday, carrying the Starlink internet satellites.
Weather permitting, the rocket launch will be visible in the night sky over Volusia County on Monday, April 22. Below is a schedule of upcoming rocket launches and how to watch the SpaceX rocket launch this week.
Is there a rocket launch today in Florida? Rocket launch schedule for Florida missions
Here’s what we know about rocket launch missions, mentioned in FLORIDA TODAY’s rocket launch schedule for the month, which is frequently updated. (Check this link often for rocket launch times and dates, as they are regularly subject to change for various reasons.)
FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, offers interactive coverage of launches at floridatoday.com/space with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes more, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email or tweet Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected] @rickneale1 on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.
Is SpaceX launching from Florida? Monday April 22: SpaceX Starlink
Although SpaceX has not publicly confirmed the existence of this mission, a navigational warning from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency indicates that a rocket launch window will open Monday evening.
Here are some details about the upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch:
- Assignment: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from the Space Coast.
- Launch window: 6:40 p.m. – 11:11 p.m. EDT Monday, April 22.
- Path: South East.
- Local sound boom: No.
- Additional landing: Drone ship on the Atlantic Ocean.
- Live: Starts 90 minutes before takeoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?
If you would like to watch live coverage of a rocket launch, the FLORIDA TODAY space team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space, starting approximately 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space in your browser.
In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County – home to the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Station – you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launching.
The best views to watch a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look due south. Readers also mentioned seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended places:
• New Smyrna South Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), parking fees may apply. New Smyrna Beach has 17 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and picturesque beach town, despite its reputation as the “shark bite capital of the world,” New Smyrna Beach has always been a paradise for surfers who come for the waves.
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• 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 1 mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral State Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, of showers and nearly 800 feet of oceanfront sidewalk, according to the Volusia County website. The nearby riverfront park is across South Atlantic Avenue and features tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground , a fishing pier and toilets. The river near the park can be an excellent viewing point for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.
• Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore stretches along the east coast of Florida in Volusia and Brevard counties. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to Exit 249, then continue east until it becomes 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 rear patio, 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, outhouses, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.
• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings Street, Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This location has approximately 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the Town of Oak Hill online. Amenities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launching facilities.
• AC Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Amenities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the Town of Oak Hill website states.
• Birdwatching Pier on River Road across from the AC Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation pier.
Rick Neale is a space reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of her stories, Click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1