Falcon 9 launch schedule — when & where to watch
SpaceX’s partially reusable two-stage workhorse — the most-flown orbital rocket in the world.
Flown by SpaceX.
Upcoming Falcon 9 launches
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-43 Today
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-43 In 3 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-35 In 4 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-44 In 6 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 10-54 In 8 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 17-54 In 10 days
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | BlueBird Block 2 #3-5 In 4 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | Globalstar 2-R Mission 1 (x 9) In 4 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer A In 4 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer C In 4 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Tracking Layer E In 4 weeks
- Falcon 9 Block 5 | SDA Tranche 1 Transport Layer A In 4 weeks
Most often launches from: Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA, Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA.
About Falcon 9
Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket whose first stage lands and reflies, which is why SpaceX can launch it so frequently. It carries Starlink satellites, crew and cargo to the ISS, and a wide range of commercial and government payloads.
Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center in Florida and from Vandenberg in California — often several times a week — so it is the launch most US viewers are likely to catch.
Where to watch Falcon 9 launches
- Port Canaveral, FL — about 6 mi from the pad; look east-northeast.
- Lompoc, CA — about 9 mi from the pad; look west.
- Vandenberg Village, CA — about 10 mi from the pad; look southwest.
- Cocoa Beach, FL — about 11 mi from the pad; look north-northeast.
- Merritt Island, FL — about 12 mi from the pad; look northeast.
- Titusville, FL — about 15 mi from the pad; look east-southeast.
Falcon 9 viewing FAQ
How visible is a Falcon 9 launch?
Very, on a clear night. Within ~100 miles of the pad you’ll see it within seconds of liftoff; a few hundred miles away it rises over the horizon a few minutes in. Twilight launches can be seen from many states.
What is the bright cloud after a Falcon 9 launch?
High-altitude, twilight launches sometimes produce a glowing “space jellyfish” — exhaust expanding in near-vacuum and lit by the sun. It can be visible for hundreds of miles.