Good luck, Falcon Heavy! SpaceX’s powerful rocket will lift off with NOAA’s GOES-U spacecraft, which will monitor weather and environmental phenomena.
Good luck, Falcon Heavy! SpaceX’s massive rocket – more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 – may lift off this week.
If you’re not near the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, or the surrounding areas of Florida’s Space Coast, you can still watch the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket virtually.
Depending on weather conditions, the Falcon Heavy should be visible from nearly anywhere along the Space Coast and areas outside the county. Here’s more information on the rocket launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and how to livestream space coverage, especially from FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team. If there are any changes to the launch, this article will be updated.
Rocket launch calendar for Florida: Is there a launch today? SpaceX, NASA and ULA missions from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
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, which includes 72 miles of coastline from Mims and Titusville to Melbourne Beach and Grant-Valkaria.
Falcon Heavy, which consists of three first stages of a Falcon 9 rocket, can be seen outside the Space Coast when the weather is good and the clouds are cloudy.
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next one is on Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
Will it rain today in Melbourne, Cocoa Beach or Cape Canaveral, Florida? Will a rocket launch be canceled because of the weather?
Pictured is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Space Coast and other parts of Florida.
How to watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch from Florida online
During the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch attempt, you can tune in to floridatoday.com/space to see USA TODAY Network’s Space Team’s live coverage and updates on the GOES-U launch, beginning about two hours before liftoff. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android, or floridatoday.com/space in your browser.
How to watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch live on your phone and interact live with the space team on Twitter
In Florida, the best way to experience this historic moment in person is to be anywhere on the Space Coast (Brevard County) or at certain locations on the First Coast or Fun Coast (Volusia County) or the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County). Pro tip: If you want to see the film in person, be sure to arrive at your destination early and be prepared to stay longer due to heavy traffic after the release.
How to follow the SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U launch from your phone, iPad or tablet with coverage from the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team
When and where: Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, will begin about two hours before launch at floridatoday.com/space (you can type that into your phone’s browser) for in-depth coverage. Ask our FLORIDA TODAY space team reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards questions and start a conversation. You can also follow coverage on the FLORIDA TODAY app, available in the App Store or Google Play. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network.
How to watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U launch on TV and the NASA-SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch on YouTube
If you have streaming services on your flat screen, computer, tablet or phone, you can watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You’ll need the FLORIDA TODAY app (see above) and the option to “mirror” from your phone to TV or the YouTube app to watch NASA’s live broadcast (see above).
In your TV apps, select the YouTube app, search for NASA’s channel, and click on the GOES-U | Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U Launch mission live broadcast scheduled for Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 4:15 p.m. EDT.
How to follow NASA-SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch on Twitter (and who to follow!)
Follow FLORIDA TODAY experts on Twitter: Space Team at @SpaceTeamRick Neale at @rickneale1Brooke Edwards at @brookeofstars with fantastic pictures by Craig Bailey at @cbphoto1. We link back to our live coverage at @Florida_Today and on floridatoday.com.
How to watch the NASA-SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch live on Facebook?
NASA typically streams live streams of rocket launches on its Facebook page at facebook.com/nasa.
How to watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U rocket launch from Roku, Amazon Fire
Viewers with a Roku box or Amazon Fire TV Stick should select the YouTube app, search for NASA’s channel, and click on the GOES-U | Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-U Launch mission live broadcast scheduled for Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at 4:15 p.m. EDT.
Can you watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch from Florida on TikTok?
NASA is not on TikTok, the popular video-sharing social media platform. There are no plans to broadcast the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch from TikTok. However, there will likely be TikTok videos about the launch — from Florida’s Space Coast and beyond, as this is a historic event.
Can you follow the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch on Instagram?
NASA has an official Instagram account (@nasa) as well as an official account for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (@nasakennedy), but there is no announcement online as to whether the space agency will host an Instagram livestream. It is likely that NASA and/or NASA Kennedy will post Instagram Reels and an Instagram Story (or two) about the launch of the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket near Cape Canaveral, Florida.
FLORIDA TODAY will cover the launch of NASA-SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket on Instagram via @Florida_Today and through veteran, award-winning photojournalist Craig Bailey at @crbphoto1.
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.
