SpaceX early morning rocket launch: When is liftoff, where to see it in Vero Beach, Sebastian

Jennifer Sangalang, Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·4 min read

An early morning rocket launch is on the horizon — and parts of the Treasure Coast may get a nice view of it.

SpaceX is targeting Thursday, Nov. 14, to launch another payload of Starlink broadband satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Depending on weather and visibility, the southern area of Indian River County and northern part of neighboring Brevard County might see a nice streak in the sky.

Below are suggestions on where to watch the rocket launch from this area and other things to know. If there are changes to the launch schedule, this story will be updated.

For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Sebastian, Vero Beach or Stuart, Florida?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches − especially night launches − from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area, particularly from Sebastian Inlet, Vero Beach or other parts of Indian River County. Night launches, in particular, make for a pretty view.

Is there a rocket launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule from Florida

Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next is Thursday, Nov. 14: SpaceX Starlink 6-68

  • Mission:  A Federal Aviation Administration operations plan advisory shows SpaceX is targeting Thursday morning (Nov. 14) for a Starlink satellite mission.

  • Launch window: 5:33 to 10:04 a.m. EDT Thursday, Nov. 14

  • Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

  • Trajectory: Southeast

  • 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.

Weather radar for Port St. Lucie, Florida. Will weather cancel a rocket launch?

Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County) and other parts of Florida. The current date and time show up on the bottom right of this radar embed; otherwise, you may need to clear your cache.

Where to see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County: What does Treasure Coast rocket launch view look like?

The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, 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. Look due north.

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes south Melbourne Beach, which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.

• Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

• Wabasso Beach Park, 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso

• Ambersands Beach Park, 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)

• South Beach Park, 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)

• Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach

• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach

• Fort Pierce Inlet, 905 Shorewinds Drive

• Blind Creek Beachside North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce

• Blue Heron Beach, 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce

• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

• Dollman Park Beachside, 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

• Herman's Bay Beach, 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

• John Brooks Park Beachside, 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

• Middle Cove Beach, 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

• Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach

• Pepper Park Beachside, 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce,

• Walton Rocks Beach, which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

• Waveland Beach, 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

• House of Refuge and beach, 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart

• State Road A1A causeway in Stuart

Rocket launch photos from Vero Beach, Florida

Adam Neal, executive editor at TCPalm, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, snapped a photo of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch. On April 30, 2023, Neal tweeted: "Check out SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from southern Vero Beach. Beautiful."
Adam Neal, executive editor at TCPalm, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, snapped a photo of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch. On April 30, 2023, Neal tweeted: "Check out SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch from southern Vero Beach. Beautiful."
Adam Neal, executive editor at TCPalm, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, snapped a photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from southern Vero Beach on May 17, 2024. Depending on weather and cloud cover, a rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, could be seen on parts of the Treasure Coast.
Adam Neal, executive editor at TCPalm, a USA TODAY Network newspaper, snapped a photo of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from southern Vero Beach on May 17, 2024. Depending on weather and cloud cover, a rocket that launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, could be seen on parts of the Treasure Coast.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rose into the night sky for an on-time liftoff of 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 on May 17, 2024. The rocket launch is seen from the Vero Beach High School commencement ceremony. Onboard is the next batch of Starlink satellites, Starlink 6-59.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rose into the night sky for an on-time liftoff of 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 on May 17, 2024. The rocket launch is seen from the Vero Beach High School commencement ceremony. Onboard is the next batch of Starlink satellites, Starlink 6-59.

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Rocket launch photo from Stuart, Florida

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Rocket launch photos from Jensen Beach, Florida

Chris Spain photographed the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch Feb. 2, 2019, from Jensen Beach.
Chris Spain photographed the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch Feb. 2, 2019, from Jensen Beach.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: SpaceX rocket launch in Florida: Where to see from Indian River County