How Do I Plan a Trip to See a Rocket Launch?

You’ve decided that you’re going to be visiting Florida’s Space Coast. Congratulations on making a fabulous choice for your vacation plans!  A rocket launch might be on your agenda, but before you get your hopes up, here are some tips on making sure your vacation is as perfect as possible.   Be Flexible Being flexible about your plans is a great tip no matter where you’re vacationing, but it’s especially important when you’re heading to the Space Coast for a rocket launch. If you set out to see a launch, there’s a good chance that you will likely witness this wonder; however, launches aren’t tourist events. They’re missions and can be scrubbed for a variety of reasons like weather or technical difficulties. Keep this in mind when you’re planning your visit. And while you may wonder if KSC Visitor Complex can move a launch to accommodate your schedule, that’s not a possibility…so remain flexible!   Plan to Extend Your Trip If your schedule allows it, plan a day or two as a buffer. If the launch gets scrubbed, you can rest easy knowing that you have a hotel room already secured. Most of the time, launches get rescheduled usually a day or two later, but sometimes it can be up to a week later, depending on why it got scrubbed. Check out this blog on how rocket launches get determined here. If the launch goes off as planned, you’ll have some more time to explore all that Florida’s Space Coast has to offer. Don’t miss out on local attractions like Brevard Zoo, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, 72-miles of beach front access, and other attractions throughout the surrounding area.   Prepare Ahead of Time Before you make your way to Florida’s Space Coast to watch a rocket launch, it’s a good idea to have a lay of the land and have a plan! Can you watch a launch from Orlando? Can you view a night launch from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex? Do you know where the best place to watch a launch at? These FAQs will help you prepare accordingly! Located just six miles north of the launch pads, Playalinda Beach at Canaveral National Seashore is a perfect spot to watch a launch. Just keep in mind that this is a national park, so the hours vary and they can choose to close the park to ensure safety for its visitors. To get the most up-to-date information, check their website for times and closures. For additional rocket launch viewing spots, check out our viewing locater here. For the latest information on Space Coast launches, download the Launch Console app on the iTunes Store or the Google Play Store.