Get your coffee or favorite caffeinated beverage ready: A rocket launch is scheduled for very late at night or very early in the morning. SpaceX will send a batch of Starlink satellites into space via a Falcon 9 rocket launch.
And that’s not all: another SpaceX rocket launch is scheduled a day later.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, launches may be visible from the Fun Coast.
Below are suggestions for where to watch the launch from this area, real-time weather radar to check for rain conditions, and other things to know.
If there are any changes to the launch schedule, this story will be updated.
Is there a rocket launch today?Schedule of upcoming SpaceX, NASA and ULA rocket launches in Florida
Is there a rocket launch planned from Florida? The next one is on Friday, August 2: SpaceX Starlink 10-6
SpaceX has another Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral. The launch window is when most people are asleep. However, the bright side is this: Nighttime launches offer a different kind of view and offer some creativity in space photography. But don’t just take our word for it, click through to the video playlist with this story or check out the photo gallery above.
Assignment: A SpaceX Falcon 9 will deliver the next batch of Starlink satellites.
Launch: From 12:19 AM to 4:49 AM EDT on Friday, August 2
Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 40
Live: You can follow the rocket launch live with the USA TODAY Network Space Team, including 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, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, available on the App Store or Google Play, or tap floridatoday.com/space in your browser.
When is the next rocket launch? August 3: SpaceX NG-21 resupply mission
Assignment: NASA, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX plan to launch the Cygnus spacecraft on a Falcon 9 in early August for a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
Launch window: 11:24 a.m. to 12:03 p.m. EDT on Saturday, August 3
Location: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 40
Live: Start 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Weather Radar for Daytona Beach, Florida. Can Bad Weather Cancel a Rocket Launch?
The National Weather Service-Melbourne radar shows real-time conditions for the Fun Coast and other areas of Florida. The current date and time are displayed in the lower right corner of this embedded radar. 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 enjoy a breathtaking view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launching.
The best vantage points to watch a rocket launch from here are along the beach. Look south. Readers have also mentioned seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach, and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended locations:
• 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 seaside resort, 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, Volusia County’s best waterfront restaurants
• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park6656 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 National Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of oceanfront boardwalk, according to the Volusia County website. The nearby waterfront park is across South Atlantic Avenue and includes tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, a fishing pier and restrooms. The river near the park can be a great vantage 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 head 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 Seafood and Oyster Restaurant rear terrace, 253 River Road, Oak Hill
• Seminole Rest National Historic Site211 River Road, Oak Hill
• Riverbreeze 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, outhouses, pavilions, picnic areas and barbecue 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 features about 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 Wharf243 River Road, Oak Hill. Amenities include a 520-foot observation deck with two covered decks and seating, the City of Oak Hill website says.
• Bird watching dock on River Road across from the AC Delbert Municipal Dock (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation dock.
Photo of a rocket launch from Port Orange, Florida
In May 2016, Jesse Paquin captured a stunning photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching on a Friday morning from Rose Bay in Port Orange, Florida.
Photos of a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Florida
A view from New Smyrna Beach of the launch Thursday evening of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Turksat 5A communications satellite from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Photos of a rocket launch from Daytona Beach, Florida
Photo of a rocket launch from Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida
Sangalang is a senior digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or on Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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