Rocket launch in Florida: When is ULA Atlas V liftoff? Where to see in Daytona, New Smyrna Beach

• Depending on weather and cloud cover, Florida rocket launches can typically be seen from Daytona Beach to Melbourne to Vero Beach.
• Watching a rocket launch while at the beach is SO Florida. It’s a popular hashtag on Instagram, too. #AtlasV #rocketlaunch

Editor’s note: ULA Atlas V, Amazon rocket launch for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, was scrubbed due to weather. For updates and launch replay, click here.

A “so Florida” event is coming up: a very Instagram-worthy rocket launch, courtesy of United Launch Alliance and Amazon.

The mighty ULA Atlas V rocket with five solid boosters will launch the first batch of Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites to low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Liftoff was tentatively set Wednesday, April 9, according to the space agency.

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, this historic rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast could be visible from Daytona Beach to Melbourne to Vero Beach. In some cases, an Atlas V rocket launch has been spotted as far south as West Palm Beach. When there’s a launch window in the middle of the night or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.

A rocket launch can be a treat for the ears, too: On the Space Coast, a “rumble” can be heard or window-shaking can be expected in some parts of Brevard County after liftoff. And some SpaceX rocket launches have an added bonus: The SpaceX boosters return to a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean or, occasionally, to the company's landing zone at Cape Canaveral. If a booster returns to the landing zone, there's a sonic boom.

Can a rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida, be seen outside of Florida? Once again depending on weather and on cloud cover, yes. For example, readers have submitted photos or posted on social platforms pictures of Falcon Heavy, which is made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, visible from Myrtle Beach.

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

When is the next rocket launch from Florida? ULA Project Kuiper KA-01

• Mission: The next launch is set to take place no earlier than Wednesday, April 9. This launch will be a rare sight, as it is a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The launch is long awaited, as it will deliver the first batch of Amazon Kuiper satellites to orbit. Originally set to launch in late 2024, the Project Kuiper satellite constellation will be Amazon's entrance into the satellite internet market − similar to SpaceX's Starlink. This first launch is known as KA-01, or Kuiper Atlas 1. The launch will send 27 Kuiper satellites to orbit, making it the heaviest payload ever flown by an Atlas V rocket. This will require the rocket configuration of five solid rocket boosters, which is the Atlas V rocket's most powerful model.
• Launch window, launch time and day: A two-hour launch window opened at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Just before 9 p.m., it was scrubbed.
• Location: ULA will attempt the Atlas V liftoff from launch complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
• Trajectory: Northeast
• Live coverage 2 hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com: 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 and SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch livestream 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.

Live weather radar: Will it rain in Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel a rocket launch near NASA and Kennedy Space Center?

Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast, Brevard County, Orlando 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.

Photos of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launch, Amazon Project Kuiper

Where can I see a rocket launch in Volusia County, Florida?

In Volusia County, immediately north of Brevard County — home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — you can get a great view of a SpaceX, NASA or United Launch Alliance rocket launches.

The best views to watch a rocket launch from here is along the beach. Look due south. Readers have also mentioned seeing a rocket launch from New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach. Here are some recommended spots:

• South New Smyrna Beach (Canaveral National Seashore), there may be parking costs. New Smyrna Beach features 17 miles of white sandy beaches. An eclectic and quaint beach town, despite its reputation as the "Shark Bite Capital of the World," New Smyrna Beach has always been a haven for surfers who come for the waves.

• Mary McLeod Bethune Beach Park, 6656 S. Atlantic Ave., New Smyrna Beach. Bethune Beach, which is 3.5 miles south of New Smyrna Beach and one mile north of the Apollo Beach entrance to Canaveral National Seashore Park, has restrooms, picnic pavilions, showers and nearly 800 feet of beachfront sidewalk, according to Volusia County's site. The nearby riverside park area is across South Atlantic Avenue with tennis courts, pickle ball courts, basketball and volleyball courts, playground, fishing pier and restrooms. The river by the park can be a great viewing spot for manatees, dolphins and pelicans.

• Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore (south of New Smyrna Beach). Canaveral National Seashore runs along Florida's East Coast in Volusia County and Brevard County. To access Apollo Beach, take Interstate 95 to exit 249, then travel east until it turns into State Road A1A. Follow SR A1A south to the park entrance.

• Oak Hill riverfront is the southernmost city in South Volusia County.

• Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill

• Seminole Rest national historic site, 211 River Road, Oak Hill

• Riverbreeze Park, 250 H.H. Burch Road, Oak Hill

• Mary Dewees Park, 178 N. Gaines St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a rental building, playground, baseball field, basketball courts, tennis courts, outdoor restrooms, pavilions, picnic areas and grills.

• Nancy Cummings Park, 232 Cummings St., Oak Hill. Facilities include a playground, baseball field, basketball courts, outdoor pavilion and restrooms.

• Jimmie Vann Sunrise Park, 275 River Road, Oak Hill. This location has about 350 feet of beautifully restored shoreline, according to the city of Oak Hill online. Facilities include a pavilion, picnic tables and kayak launching facilities.

• A.C. Delbert Dewees Municipal Pier, 243 River Road, Oak Hill. Facilities include a 520-foot observation pier with two covered decks and seating, the city of Oak Hill site states.

• Bird Observation Pier on River Road across from A.C. Delbert Municipal Pier (see above). Facilities include a 100-foot observation pier.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.