When SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, can capital city residents see it?
Possibly, people in Tallahassee have reported seeing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket liftoff (see video below).
The mammoth SpaceX rocket Falcon Heavy − more powerful than the space agency's Falcon 9 − will potentially lift off this week. Depending on weather, Falcon Heavy should be visible from nearly anywhere on the Space Coast and in areas outside of the county, possibly hundreds of miles away.
Here's more information about the rocket launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.
Florida rocket launch calendar:Is there a launch today? SpaceX, NASA, ULA missions from Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
Is there a rocket launch from Florida? The next is Tuesday, June 25: SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U
- Mission:NOAA’s fourth and final GOES-U (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites) spacecraft, which will monitor weather and environmental phenomena, will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
- Launch:5:16 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 25, 2024
- Location:Launch pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County, Florida
- Live coverage:If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage,FLORIDA TODAY's Space Teamwill provide updates atfloridatoday.com/space, starting two hours before liftoff. You can download the freeFLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in theApp StoreorGoogle Play, or typefloridatoday.com/spaceinto your browser.
What is SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
The Falcon Heavy is three Falcon 9 rocket first stages — which together give three times the lift. The center Falcon 9 is fully loaded with the second stage of the rocket and the payload atop. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is encased in fairings to shield it on the way to space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these single rockets towers 229.6 feet tall with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands the same height. However, it's much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, 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 attached to this story show scenes of a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from the Space Coast of Florida. From Titusville to Tallahassee, it's about 300 miles.
Falcon Heavy, which is made up of three Falcon 9 rocket first stages, can potentially be seen outside of the Space Coast, weather permitting and depending on cloud cover.
Will it rain in Cape Canaveral, Florida, today? Will weather cancel SpaceX rocket launch?
Shown is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows conditions in real-time for the Space Coast and other parts of Florida.
Can you see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Tallahassee?
In the Jan. 26, 2023, YouTube video above from user Wright, "Starlink 5-2 launched from Cape Canaveral early in the morning at 4:32 am ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch was visible from Tallahassee. About 1.5 to 2 hours after launch, the light from the sun began to illuminate the exhaust and clouds produced from the first stage ascent of the SpaceX Falcon 9."
In addition, millions around the world watched Feb. 6, 2018, as 27 Merlin engines roared to life at Kennedy Space Center, lifting SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket into the evening sky. More than 100,000 visitors to Florida's Space Coast had witnessed the historic demo flight of the most powerful rocket in the world. Interestingly, that bright orange-yellow dot in the sky could be seen from parts of the capital city.
If the clouds cooperate, it’s conceivable that the June 25, 2024, SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch could be visible as far away as Tallahassee. When the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California in October 2018, it was viewed by skywatchers from hundreds of miles away.
In a June 24, 2019, Tallahassee Democrat story, Ken Kopczynski, president of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society who wrote columns for the Tallahassee Democrat as the “Sky Guy,” said for best viewing find a spot with a clear view to the east/southeast with no clouds. In the story, Kopczynski suggested the "Alford Greenway or the Cypress Landing Boat Launch overlooking Lake Miccosukee. The Costco parking lot on Mahan Drive may also offer a decent view of the horizon."
Videos, tweets of SpaceX rocket launch near Cape Canaveral spotted in Tallahassee, Florida
Photos, tweets of rocket launch seen in Tallahassee, Florida
Contributing: William Hatfield, Tallahassee Democrat, and Emre Kelly, FLORIDA TODAY
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her onTwitteror Instagram at@byjensangalang. Support local journalism.Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
