SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch: Best spots to view in Sebastian, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce
Godspeed, Falcon Heavy!
The mammoth SpaceX rocket − more powerful than the space agency's Falcon 9 − will potentially liftoff this week from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Vero Beach or Stuart, Florida?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes, rocket launches from neighboring Space Coast could be visible in the Treasure Coast area.
Below is a calendar for upcoming rocket launches and suggestions on where to watch them from Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.
Florida's rocket launch calendar: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA missions from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
Mission: NOAA’s fourth and final GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) spacecraft, which will monitor weather and environmental phenomena, will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
Launch: 5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25
Location: Launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
Live coverage: If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage, FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space, starting two hours 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.
What is SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
The Falcon Heavy is three Falcon 9 rocket first stages — which together give three times the lift. The center Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the second stage of the rocket and the payload atop. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is encased in fairings to shield it on the way to space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these single rockets towers 229.6 feet tall with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands the same height. However, it's much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to almost three cars parked bumper to bumper.
How big is Falcon Heavy? What does SpaceX Falcon Heavy look like compared to Falcon 9 rockets?
Photo galleries attached to this story show scenes of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from the Space Coast of Florida. Depending on weather and cloud cover, SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches can be seen in the Treasure Coast sky − morning, afternoon or night from parts of Indian River County, Martin County or St. Lucie County. (Falcon Heavy has three Falcon 9 rocket first stages.)
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.
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. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:
• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes 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
Rocket launch photo from Stuart, Florida
Rocket launch photos from Jensen Beach, Florida
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA-Falcon Heavy launch in Florida: Best views from Treasure Coast
