- The SpaceX Falcon Heavy, consisting of three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket, can possibly be viewed in Palm Beach County if the weather is good and depending on cloud cover.
- It is about 120 miles from Melbourne Beach to West Palm Beach. Witnessing a rocket launch in Palm Beach County is a special event.
Will Palm Beach County residents be able to see the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket when it launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral?
People in West Palm Beach and Greenacres may have reported seeing the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (see video and photos below).
SpaceX’s massive Falcon Heavy rocket — more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 — may lift off later this week. Depending on weather, the Falcon Heavy should be visible from nearly anywhere along the Space Coast and in areas outside the county, potentially hundreds of miles away.
Here’s more information on the rocket launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. If there are any changes to the launch, this story will be updated.
Is there a launch today?Upcoming rocket launch schedule from SpaceX, NASA and ULA in Florida
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next one is on Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
What is SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
The Falcon Heavy consists of three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket, which together generate three times the lift force. The middle Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and the payload at the top. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is encased in fairings to protect it on its way into space.
For comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches Starlink missions is a single rocket. One of these single rockets alone is 229.6 feet tall with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.
With three of those Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy is the same height. However, it is much wider, with a width of 39.9 feet, which is almost comparable to three cars parked bumper to bumper.
How big is the Falcon Heavy? How does the SpaceX Falcon Heavy compare to Falcon 9 rockets?
The photo galleries accompanying this article show scenes from a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon, or evening) from Florida’s Space Coast. It is about 120 miles from Melbourne Beach to West Palm Beach.
Falcon Heavy, which consists of three first stages of a Falcon 9 rocket, may also be visible outside the Space Coast if the weather is good and cloud cover permits.
Will it rain today in Cape Canaveral, Florida? Will the weather cancel a SpaceX rocket launch?
Pictured is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Space Coast and other parts of Florida.
Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida in West Palm Beach?
In good weather and depending on cloud cover, some rockets launching from Cape Canaveral or NASA’s Kennedy Space Center can be seen in Palm Beach County, Florida. Some examples include the launch of United Launch Alliance’s Delta IV Heavy rocket and SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. “Heavy” means the rockets have three first stages, while a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has only a single one. Photos and videos from the Palm Beach Post and on social media show a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch visible in West Palm Beach — sometimes.
Videos and tweets from SpaceX rocket launch spotted near Cape Canaveral in West Palm Beach, South Florida
Photos and tweets from the rocket launch in West Palm Beach, Florida
Sangalang is a senior digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Þjórsárden or on Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider a subscription to a Florida newspaper.