Get your coffee or favorite caffeinated beverage ready — a late-night or early-morning rocket launch is planned. SpaceX will send a batch of Starlink satellites into space via a Falcon 9 rocket launch.
Weather permitting and with sufficient cloud cover, the tower can be seen from the Fun Coast.
Below are suggestions on where to watch the launch from this area, as well as real-time weather radar to check for rainy conditions and other important information.
Should any changes occur to this launch, this story will be updated.
Will there be a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next one is Thursday, August 2: SpaceX Starlink 10-6
SpaceX has another Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral. The launch window takes place when most people are asleep. The upside, though, is this: nighttime launches offer a different kind of view and creativity in space photography. But don’t just take our word for it, click on the video playlist with this story or check out the photo gallery above.
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Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 will deliver the next batch of Starlink satellites.
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Launch: 12:19 AM to 4:49 AM EDT Thursday, August 2
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Place: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
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Live coverage: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from the USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which includes FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visual 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 beginning 90 minutes before launch. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, available on the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space in your browser.
When is the next rocket launch? No sooner than August 3: SpaceX NG-21 resupply mission
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Mission: NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX aim to launch the Cygnus spacecraft aboard a Falcon 9 in early August for a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
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Home window: To be announced
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Place: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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Live coverage: Start 90 minutes before launch at floridatoday.com/space.
Weather radar for Daytona Beach, Florida. Will the weather cancel a rocket launch?
Here you can see the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Fun Coast and other parts of Florida. The current date and time are shown in the lower right of this radar embed; otherwise you may need to clear your cache.
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 rocket launch from SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance.
The best view to watch a rocket launch from here is along the beach. Look due south. Readers have also reported seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, and Ormond Beach. Here are a few recommended spots:
• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), parking fees may apply. New Smyrna Beach has 17 miles of white sand beaches. An eclectic and quaint 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 launch: Perfect for a SpaceX or NASA rocket launch, best waterfront restaurants in Volusia County
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park6656 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 National Seashore Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of boardwalk, according to the Volusia County website. A nearby riverfront park across South Atlantic Avenue has tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, a fishing pier and restrooms. The river at the park can be a great place to spot manatees, dolphins and pelicans.
• Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along the east coast of Florida in Volusia County and Brevard County. To reach Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then head east until it becomes State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
• Oak Hill riverbank is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
• Sunrise Park275 River Road, Oak Hill
• Goodrich’s Seafood and Oyster House rear deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest National Historic Site211 River Road, Oak Hill
• River Breeze Park250 HH Burch Road, Oak Hill
• Mary Dewees Park178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Amenities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.
• Nancy Cummings Park232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.
• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park275 River Road, Oak Hill. This location has approximately 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the city of Oak Hill online. Amenities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launch facilities.
• AC Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier243 River Road, Oak Hill. Amenities include a 520-foot-long observation pier with two covered decks and seating, according to the city of Oak Hill website.
• Birdwatching Pier on River Road, across from the AC Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation pier.
Photo of rocket launch from Port Orange, Florida
Photos of rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Photos of rocket launch from Daytona Beach, Florida
Photo of rocket launch from Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida
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: When is the rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida? What time is the liftoff
