Late-night SpaceX Florida rocket launch in Florida. What time is liftoff?
A late-night or super early morning SpaceX launch is expected to lift off from Florida this week.
If all goes according to plan, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will send a batch of 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday, July 14.
Though rockets here launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, people can sometimes see this phenomenon far beyond the launch pad.
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Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida's Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach.
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 afterward makes for a great photo.
Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida, suggestions on where to watch it and how to watch some launches with NASA+ on Prime Video.
For questions or comments, email USA TODAY Network Space Reporters Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com, Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com or Eric Lagatta at elagatta@usatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Tuesday, July 14: SpaceX Starlink 10-45
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
- Launch window: 3:15 a.m. to 7:15 a.m. ET Tuesday, July 14, 2026
- Launch trajectory: Northeast
- Launch location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida
- Sonic booms: No.
- 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.
Where can I watch a rocket launch in Florida?
A rocket launch with a northeast trajectory can be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach, Florida, which is about 160 miles north of Cape Canaveral (about a two-hour and 30-minute car ride, depending on which route you take).
Rocket launches with a southeast trajectory can be seen as far south as West Palm Beach, Florida, which is about 150 miles south of Cape Canaveral (about a two-hour-and-20-minute car ride).
Rocket launches are most visible from the Space Coast, where they launch from, and are often visible from the Treasure Coast and Volusia County as well.
Where to watch SpaceX rocket launches from Volusia County, Florida
In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County - home to 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 of a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look due south.
Recommended spots:
- South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore)
- Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park.
- Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). 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 into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.
- Oak Hill riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.
- Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
- Goodrich's Seafood and Oyster House back deck, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
- Seminole Rest national historic site, 211 River Road, Oak Hill
- Riverbreeze Park, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill
- Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill
- Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill
- Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill
- A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill
- Bird Observation Pier on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above)
- Rose Bay in Port Orange, Florida
- Skylake in Port Orange, Florida
- Beaches along New Smyrna Beach, Florida
- New Smyrna Beach Inlet, New Smyrna Beach lifeguard station
- Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach, Florida
- Ormond-by-the-Sea in Ormond Beach, Florida
- George R. Kennedy Memorial Park in Edgewater, Florida
Watch some rocket launches with NASA+ on Prime Video
NASA content, including some rocket launches, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.
All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.
Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video
The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video's FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime's Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Late-night SpaceX Florida rocket launch in Florida. What time is liftoff?
Reporting by Jennifer Sangalang, Lianna Norman, Rick Neale, Brooke Edwards and Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 9:56 AM.