Updated 17 Mar 2020 – closure information.
The next two launches coming up on the Space Coast will be SpaceX’s Starlink 5 launch, currently set for Wednesday, March 18th at 8:16 am EDT, and United Launch Alliance’s AEHF-6 launch on Thursday, March 26th at 2:57 pm EDT with a 2-hour launch window.
Please note that due to current Coronavirus concerns, public gathering is NOT RECOMMENDED. We recommend you stay home – or in your hotel room – rather than mingle with others to watch this launch or any other event.
SpaceX Starlink 5 will be launching on a Falcon 9 rocket from pad LC-39A, with an expected landing on their drone ship Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY); the drone ship landing will not be visible from shore. For this launch, Playalinda Beach should provide an excellent view – arrive early and bring water, sunscreen and possibly toilet paper, as facilities there are primitive – $20 per car to park gives you in/out privileges for 7 days. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will not be offering launch viewing, as they will be closed as of Monday, March 16th. Jetty Park and Observation Tower remain closed until further notice.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Road closure information has been released for the Starlink launch: roads to Playalinda Beach (SR-406 from the west, SR-3N from the north) will be closed at 8:25 am on launch day, or whenever Playalinda parking reaches max capacity. Roads in and around Kennedy Space Center, including SR-405, SR-3, Space Commerce Way and the NASA Causeway, will be closed to the general public at 5:30 am. TL;dr – wherever you’re headed, get there early.
ULA AEHF-6 will be launching on on an Atlas V from SLC-41, another northern launch pad. Playalinda Beach will provide a good view – as stated above, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Jetty Park and Exploration Tower remain closed until further notice.
Remember: Rocket launches often slip to later dates, and can scrub and require rescheduling at any time up to the moment of launch! In the days leading up to these (or any) launches, keep an eye on Space Twitter or other social media for any updates to the launch schedule. There are many potential sources of timely information, but if you can only keep track of one source, Chris G. of NASASpaceflight.com is an excellent choice.
As always, if you have additional questions or need more specific information on any viewing locations, please feel free to reach out to Wayward Plane via the links in the sidebar! I’m happy to help, and generally respond to inquiries within two hours or less of receipt.
Best of luck on your launch viewing journey!