There are a lot of ways to see a rocket launch in Florida. Some are better than others.
I get asked quite frequently about “the best place to see a launch” — especially from folks coming down to the Space Coast hoping to see a rocket in flight.
The most truthful answer is “it depends.” A great site to see a launch at Kennedy Space Center might not be the best vantage point to see one from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (and vice versa.) Those two facilities are adjacent to each other — just keep in mind it’s a huge facility and is tens of miles from one end to the other.
For some launches, certain viewing areas are closed for security and safety reasons. There are options that require admission tickets, while others require you to pay for parking. It gets complicated, so the best answer is to look over your choices for where the launch is happening, when liftoff is going to occur and whether or not you want to splurge on some pricey options.
Launches Can And Often Are Scrubbed (Canceled)
Weather, technical glitches, even cruise ships or airplanes traveling in the wrong place can cause a rocket launch to be canceled, even at the last minute. That can’t be helped, and there’s no use complaining about it. It doesn’t happen often, but be prepared for it to occur.
Weather
45th Weather Squadron’s Launch Weather Page
Three days before a launch the US Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 45 publishes official launch weather forecasts with their estimation of what the weather will be like at t-minus zero. It’s well worth monitoring. Their forecasts are updated daily.
Note that the 45th doesn’t publish up to the minute forecasts.
Countdown Progress
NASA TV
If it is a NASA launch (and those can happen on a SpaceX, United Launch Alliance or other contractor) more than likely they will have live coverage on NASA-TV. You can stream their coverage on YouTube using the link above.
SpaceFlight Now
SFN is a space news service with an excellent website as well as a streaming YouTube channel. They start streaming launch coverage around an hour before the planned liftoff, and give great updates regarding launch status, including last minute weather information.
Twitter
If you’re a Twitter user, search your feed for launch information. There are a lot of people online who post updates, including SFN folks as well as other media personalities.
Current Guides – Where To Go
SpaceX Launches From LC-39A (Kennedy Space Center)
Cape Canaveral National Seashore / Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge (KSC or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station)
other guides are coming soon, stay tuned…