SpaceX SiriusXM – A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SiriusXM SXM-11 satellite is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40 with a window of 10:25 p.m. ET Sunday, June 28, 2026, to 2:25 a.m. ET Monday, June 29, 2026—potentially visible from locations across
For anyone planning a late night along Florida’s coast, Sunday is the kind of evening you don’t want to miss. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch the SiriusXM SXM-11 satellite from Cape Canaveral, and the liftoff window stretches into the early hours of Monday.
This mission is slated for Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Weather and timing will determine exactly when the rocket lifts off, but the launch window is listed as 10:25 p.m. ET Sunday, June 28, 2026, to 2:25 a.m. ET Monday, June 29, 2026. The planned launch trajectory has not been confirmed yet and is listed as TBAL.
This is the second major “night-before-sunrise” chapter in a busy period for Space Coast launches. It follows the uncrewed demo mission liftoff of the company’s new Starfall spacecraft just after sunrise on June 23.
A rocket from Florida can sometimes be seen far beyond the launch pad. Depending on cloud cover and trajectory. a launch from the Space Coast could be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and as far south as West Palm Beach. When liftoff happens in the middle of the night or very early morning. the dark sky can turn electric—rocket lights up first. then the contrail afterward often makes for striking photos.
If you want to watch the countdown build. live coverage is scheduled to begin 90 minutes before liftoff at flordidatoday.com/space. That stream is tied to the USA TODAY Network’s Space Team. including FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey. Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. The live blog is set to include a countdown clock and up-to-the-minute updates starting 90 minutes before launch.
There are plenty of places to view rockets in Brevard County and beyond, but the guidance is consistent: follow posted rules, and don’t block traffic or rights of way on bridges.
A northeast trajectory can be visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach. about 160 miles from Cape Canaveral. roughly a two-hour-and-30-minute drive depending on route. A southeast trajectory can reach as far south as West Palm Beach. about 150 miles from Cape Canaveral. about a two-hour-and-20-minute drive.
On the Space Coast, launches are most visible along the beach. Along the Indian River, viewers are advised to look east directly across the river if they’re watching in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park. Farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.
For liftoff viewing closest to the action. Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore are described as the nearest options because they are almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline—some spots can even show the pad. Parking charges may apply. and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn’t always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
Specific hotspots listed include Jetty Park Beach and Pier at 400 Jetty Park Road in Port Canaveral. with a note that there’s a charge to park; Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park on Max Brewer Memorial Parkway in Titusville. with parking available on both sides of the bridge and an address listed as 1 A; Space View Park at 8 Broad St. in Titusville; Sand Point Park at 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway in Titusville; and Rotary Riverfront Park at 4141 S. Washington Ave. in Titusville.
In Cocoa. Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village is listed at 401 Riveredge Blvd. Cocoa. just before State Road 520 Causeway. along with viewing opportunities in Cocoa Village near parks and shops and near the docks. Merritt Island viewers have options too, including various parks, Rotary Park at 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, and Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road.
Port Canaveral also has a viewing option at Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway in Cocoa Beach, along with Cocoa Beach Pier at 401 Meade Ave., where parking fee varies. Lori Wilson Park at 1400 N. Atlantic Ave. in Cocoa Beach is listed as well, and Sidney Fischer Park at 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., with the note that parking costs may apply. Additional recommendations include downtown Cocoa Beach along Minutemen Causeway; Tables Beach at 197 SR A1A in Satellite Beach; The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach; various parks including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse in Satellite Beach; and Pineda Causeway and Eau Gallie Causeway.
Melbourne viewers are directed toward Front Street Park near the Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne, along with Indialantic boardwalk at the Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A. Satellite Beach and Melbourne Beach also show up in the list: Paradise Beach Park. also known as Howard Futch Park at 2301 SR A1A in Melbourne. and Sebastian Inlet Park at 9700 S. State Road A1A in Melbourne Beach, with a note that there is a cost to enter.
If you can’t get out to the coastline, the story still comes home through streaming. NASA+ content. including some rocket launches. is available to watch on desktop through NASA+’s official site and YouTube. and on smartphones as a mobile app. The platform is also available to watch via Amazon Prime Video without requiring a Prime subscription. because NASA+ content appears as one of Prime Video’s FAST channels under Prime’s Live TV section.
There’s another recent milestone behind the scenes as well: this launch follows the company’s earlier Starfall demo mission liftoff just after sunrise June 23.
With the SiriusXM SXM-11 mission set for its Sunday-night-to-Monday-early window. the only certainty for viewers is this—when the rocket starts its climb. the sky will be the real headline. The details. down to the exact liftoff moment. will depend on the same factors that shape every launch here: the weather. the clouds. and the path the vehicle ultimately takes.
SpaceX Falcon 9 SiriusXM SXM-11 Cape Canaveral Space Coast launches rocket launch viewing NASA+ on Prime Video Launch Complex 40
Is it actually Sunday or did they move it again? Ugh.
2:25am?? That’s wild. I thought all these launches were like 9pm max. Guess I’ll just stay up and stare at the sky and hope my neighbor doesn’t call the cops lol.
TBAL means “to be alive later” right? Like it’s not confirmed until people wake up? Also SiriusXM satellite sounds like radio, so is this gonna make my reception better or is that not how it works.
Not to be that guy but Falcon 9 always has problems and they always say “weather and timing” like that’s not weather you can predict. Cape Canaveral at 10:25pm is gonna be chaos on the roads, mark my words. TBAL trajectory too… so basically nobody knows what they’re doing until it’s already in the air.