As seen from Playalinda Beach late in the afternoon. The same booster carried four astronauts towards the International Space Station about three weeks earlier this month.
The lights were on as SpaceX began work on preparing Launch Complex 39-A ready for its next crewed mission. Axiom-1 is a private mission to ISS-NL and is set to launch NET April 6, 2022.
On the left, a crane rises over the construction site SpaceX has opened to build a launch pad for Starship, its super-heavy booster currently under development.
Seen April 1, 2022.
As seen from the Bennett Causeway on the Banana River in Cape Canaveral.
The weather was quite iffy until the final hour before liftoff — in fact, there was a tornado warning nearby with heavy rain to start the morning. The skies dried and clouds lifted just enough for Falcon 9 to thread through them and head to space.
As you might guess, photography conditions were not ideal, with flat, dull light, but this photo came out decently enough. Not long after liftoff, more rain came into the area, albeit with less lightning, thunder and high winds.
Later that evening, I was able to see SLC-40 from the sea as the sun was about to set. Again, serendipity gave us a break in the clouds and we were able to see the sun peaking through as it fell towards the horizon. The pad was busy as SpaceX workers began to recycle it post-launch, and it was lit brightly into the night as they continued their tasks.
One of the best (if not the best) places to see a launch on the Space Coast is from Playalinda Beach on the Canaveral National Seashore. From the first beachside parking lot to the launch pad is only four miles, and generally, one can walk at least another quarter-mile closer on the shoreline for an even better view.
It’s one mile down the beach to the property line between CCNS and Kennedy Space Center, but lately, there have been Park volunteers about 0.25 to 0.5 miles down the beach stopping anyone from walking all the way to the fence. That’s understandable, given security and safety concerns, and the place that they’ve drawn the line in the sand (nearly literally) is plenty close to get great views and awesome sounds of the rocket at it leaves the pad.
Uncrewed Launches Only
One important thing to note is that Playalinda is closed for crewed launches, for obvious reasons. In the event of an emergency requiring activation of the Launch Escape System, the crew could land anywhere nearby, and Playalinda is definitely nearby. That’s a a safety issue on many levels, and it’s simply easier to close the beach than take the risks.
This link will give you the current status of Playalinda. And if you’re not sure, call to doublecheck.
Uncrewed or not, it’s also safe to assume that any launch from LC-39B (the Artemis launch pad) will also result in a beach closure. At 2.5 miles from the first parking area, it is well within the safety zone for people on or off KSC and Artemis launches will result in a closure. Please note that is not an official statement, but I say that based on experiences from previous launches from LC-39B.
Fees Charged
Another thing to remember is that as part of the National Park System, an entrance fee is collected unless you have an annual US Parks Pass. Today, in 2022, that fee is $20 per car. Cash and credit cards are accepted at the gate.
Walk South Down The Beach
Area 1 is the place to go, if there is parking. If not, park at the lowest numbered Area you can find a spot and then walk down the beach towards Area 1. You will see a lot of people, both on the beach and on the boardwalks that go over the dunes. Generally, there are volunteers that stop people from going all the way down to the fence marking the start of Kennedy Space Center property, for safety reasons.
Note: Area 13 is clothing optional, and if you are going with kids, you may want to skip that place. Remember that what is seen cannot be unseen.
Professional Media Will Be There
The boardwalks are especially popular with launch photographers, and a lot of them are professionals or freelancers who are there to photograph the launch for various news outlets. They are a friendly bunch, but keep in mind that they are working so when it’s close to launch time they’re best left alone.
Afterwards, they’ll again be happy to talk to most anyone, and maybe even give you a peek at what they’ve shot.
The Launch View and Sounds
Look down the beach line and slightly inland and you should be able to see the rocket and the launch tower. Cell phone service at Playalinda is very spotty, so keep an eye on your watch or phone for the expected launch time to come. That will happen without much warning, but when it happens it will be unmistakable.
It takes a 15-20 seconds for the sound to travel from the launch pad to viewers — about five seconds a mile — so you will see the rocket before you hear it. When you do hear it, it will be loud, like close thunder. A Falcon 9 is a powerful rocket, but it is not an earth-shaker like a Saturn V was…those could shake the ground and were deafening. A Falcon 9 is more like a storm, but it is definitely a loud sound.
Here’s a video I made with a GoPro of a Playalinda launch. The rocket is louder than you hear and seems to be a little closer than the video shows. Still, it shows what the sights and sounds are pretty accurately:
On a clear day, you will be able to see all the way up to staging, when the first stage is done and separates from the rocket. On a really clear day you’ll be able to watch the second stage for some time. Keep in mind it is only about an eight minute trip to orbit, and that the rocket is travelling away from you and quickly going thousands of miles an hour. (Orbital speed is 17,500 miles per hour.) It is still an incredible sight and one that you likely won’t forget for a very long time.
See also: Spots To View A Crewed SpaceX Launch on the Space Coast
Ever wondered what the inside of NASA’s Transporter Crawler looks like?
In 2014, I was part of a NASA Social event, and as part of the “insider” tour we got to go inside and look around in the Crawler that was used for Apollo and the Space Shuttle, and is now used for Artemis.
United Launch Alliance launched the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-T advanced weather satellite for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at 4:28pm local time on an Atlas V 541 from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-41 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS).
Storms cleared just in time for SpaceX to launch more Starlink satellites tonight from Cape Canaveral. Perfect launch but a photo fail here, I think. The launch itself was totally blown out — too bright — but I learned something and had a little fun. That’s really all that matters. FWIW, this is unfiltered straight out of the camera.
— at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 40.
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