- Falcon Heavy, consisting of three Falcon 9 rockets, can be seen from the Treasure Coast, weather permitting and cloud cover.
Godspeed, Falcon Heavy!
The giant SpaceX rocket – more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 – may lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center this week.
Can you see a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral near Vero Beach or Stuart, Florida?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, rocket launches from the neighboring Space Coast may 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 any 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? Next up is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
What is SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
The Falcon Heavy consists of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages – which together provide three times the lift. The middle Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and payload on top. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is encased in fairings to protect it on its way to space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches Starlink missions is a single rocket. Only one of these single rockets with the second stage is 70 meters high and has a diameter of 3.5 meters.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy is at the same height. However, it is much wider, giving it a width of 11 meters, 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 accompanying this story show scenes from a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from Florida’s Space Coast. 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 initial Falcon 9 rocket stages.)
Weather radar for Port St. Lucie, Florida. Will it cancel another rocket launch?
Shown is National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, Martin County and St. Lucie County) and other parts of Florida.
Where can you see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County? What does the Treasure Coast rocket launch display look like?
The best views to see a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, also called the Space Coast, are along the beach here. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should take care not to block traffic or passage on bridges and to avoid staying on beaches follow the rules. Look due north. Here are some recommended places, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:
• You can see the rocket launch almost anywhere in Brevard. That includes Melbourne beachthat borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Sebastian Inlet Park9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (entrance fees apply)
• Wabasso beach park1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands beach park12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach
• Fort Pierce Inlet905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beach North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach2101 Blue Heron Boulevard, Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park on the beach9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman’s Bay Beach7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park on the beach3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove beach4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy beach in Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park on the beach3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce,
• Walton Rocks Beachwith a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Refuge house and beach301 SE MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
• National highway 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 further Tweet or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.