Florida rocket launch schedule

Every upcoming launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, in Eastern time. Below the schedule: where to watch from, and why some launches are visible from Orlando and Tampa while others are not.

Next Florida launch
O3b mPower 11-13
Sunday, September 13 at 2:49 PM EDT
Falcon 9 Block 5 from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA. Daytime launch, best seen closer to the coast.
Full mission details

Upcoming Florida launches

All times Eastern. Schedules change often.

Will you see it from your house?

Distance is only half of it. RocketRune works out how high the rocket will sit in your sky, which way to face, the cloud forecast over your location rather than over the pad, and whether the exhaust plume will be lit by a sun that has already set for you. Then it scores the whole thing out of 100.

Check visibility from your locationWhat Pro includes

Direction, distance and a visibility rating are free. Pro adds the score out of 100, the cloud forecast over you, the twilight plume outlook and an alert when a launch is worth going outside for.

Where to watch on the Space Coast

  • Jetty Park, Port Canaveral
    The closest public viewing to SLC-40. Gets busy hours ahead for big launches, and there is a parking fee.
  • Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore
    Closest to the Kennedy Space Center pads. Park entry fee applies and the gates close early on some days.
  • Space View Park, Titusville
    Free parking across the Indian River, with a clear line of sight to both launch complexes.
  • Cocoa Beach Pier
    Further south, so launches sit lower in the sky, but there are restaurants and easy parking.

Access rules, fees and closures at these sites change, and some close roads on launch days. Check with the park or port before setting out.

Common questions

Can I see a Florida rocket launch from Orlando or Tampa?

Often, yes, but it depends far more on the time of day than the distance. A night or twilight launch from Cape Canaveral is regularly visible from Orlando, Tampa and beyond, because the rocket climbs into sunlight while the ground is dark. A midday launch is usually only worth watching within an hour or so of the coast, since a contrail against a bright sky fades quickly with distance.

What time is the next rocket launch in Florida?

The schedule above is in Eastern time and updates continuously from Launch Library. Launch times move often, sometimes by minutes and sometimes by weeks, so it is worth checking again on the day.

Why are some launches visible from much further away?

Two things decide it. How high the rocket climbs in your sky, which is geometry and depends on your distance from the pad, and how well it stands out, which depends on lighting. The best case is a launch 30 to 60 minutes after sunset, when the exhaust plume catches sunlight hundreds of kilometres up while you are standing in the dark.

Which direction should I look?

Face the pad, which from most of central Florida means east or east-northeast. Where the rocket tracks after liftoff depends on the mission: flights to the International Space Station head northeast, while geostationary missions run almost due east.