An early morning SpaceX rocket launch is expected to lift off from Florida tomorrow.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit before sunrise on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Because the launch time is in the early morning hours, there's potential for a "jellyfish" effect in the sky, which is when the rocket's contrail is hit by sunlight and illuminated. 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 [email protected], Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or Eric Lagatta at [email protected]. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Is there a launch today? SpaceX, NASA August rocket launch schedule in Florida
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Launch: 5:33 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 25.
Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
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.
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.
Pretty much anywhere in Brevard County, you'll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.
If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.
If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.
Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore are the closest spots to view liftoff because they are almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline (you can even see the pad from some spots).
Jetty Park Beach and Pier, 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there's a charge to park.
Playalinda Beach, 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there's a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn't always granted, depending on capacity and time of day.
Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park, 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
Space View Park, 8 Broad St., Titusville
Sand Point Park, 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
Rotary Riverfront Park, 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village, 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway)
Cocoa Village, near the parks and shops, or near the docks
Various parks on Merritt Island
Rotary Park, 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island
Port Canaveral, with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean
Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
Cocoa Beach Pier, 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
Lori Wilson Park, 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
Sidney Fischer Park, 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
Downtown Cocoa Beach, along Minutemen Causeway
Tables Beach, 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach
The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach
Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach
Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne
Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A
Paradise Beach Park, aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park)
Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
Sebastian Inlet State Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach, Florida (cost to enter)
Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso, Florida
Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking)
South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, Florida (free parking)
Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida
Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach, Florida
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, 905 Shorewinds Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Blind Creek Beachside North and South, 5460 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce, Florida
Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Middle Cove Beach, 4600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida
Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach, Florida
Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce, Florida
Walton Rocks Beach, 6700 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida (dog park)
Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach, Florida
State Road A1A causeway in Stuart, Florida
House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart, Florida
In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County, 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.
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
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 week with Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Early morning rocket launch from Florida could cause 'jellyfish' effect
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