Godspeed, Starliner. After an initial attempt earlier this month, Boeing's maiden crewed flight has been rescheduled.
Boeing is preparing to launch its Starliner capsule on its first crewed mission from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . And the Treasure Coast may get a peek at the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifting off into the sky.
As of Tuesday, May 14, Starliner will launch no earlier than Tuesday, May 21. However, there is a SpaceX Starlink launch with a Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for Friday, May 17 (details below on both launches).
On board the ULA Atlas V rocket will be two NASA astronauts. Flying this commercial crew mission are Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams , both Navy test pilots. They have each flown in space twice (more info about them below).
Day or night, watching a rocket launch on the beach is so Florida. But can you see a rocket launch liftoff from Cape Canaveral all the way in Sebastian, Vero Beach, or even up to Fort Pierce?
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes. We have suggestions on where and how to watch a rocket launch from Indian River County to Martin County below if you keep scrolling and information on the historic Starliner launch.
What is Boeing's Starliner?
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft will transport NASA astronauts. The company calls it the Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 Starliner, or simply “Starliner ." Set to launch no earlier than Friday, May 17, 2024, it will make history as the first spacecraft to ferry humans from Space Launch Complex 41 in Cape Canaveral. The launch pad has been the site for historic missions beginning with the Titan rockets in 1965 and including the New Horizons deep space probe, the Voyager spacecraft, and even the Curiosity Mars rover.
Starliner will be launched with the help of a United Launch Alliance (a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin) Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V rocket has launched from the site since 2002, but this will be the first time it carries astronauts to space.
What launches from where? Years after space shuttle retirement, Florida chases nearly 70 launches a year
Who are the NASA astronauts flying into space for Starliner launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida?
The two NASA astronauts flying this commercial crew mission are Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita "Suni" Williams . Both are Navy test pilots. They have each flown in space twice and both bring a wide variety of experiences to the flight.
Williams was originally a helicopter test pilot before switching to flying jets. She's preparing to fly to space for the third time, as the crew test flight pilot.
This will be Wilmore's third spaceflight as well. Before becoming a NASA astronaut, Wilmore was a U.S. Navy captain, fighter pilot, and test pilot, accumulating more than 8,000 hours of flight time. Wilmore flew the FA-18 Hornet and T-45 Goshawk, playing a role in missions during Operation Desert Storm, Desert Shield and Southern Watch.
Here's what we know about the rocket launch missions, mentioned in FLORIDA TODAY's rocket launch calendar for the month of May, which is updated frequently. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates because they are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.)
No earlier than Tuesday, May 21: NASA’s Boeing Starliner crewed flight test from Cape Canaveral, Florida
Friday, May 17: SpaceX Starlink
A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning indicates a 4½-hour launch window will open Friday, May 17, for SpaceX's next Starlink mission from the Space Coast, shortly after the Starliner liftoff.
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites.
- Launch: 7:52 p.m. EDT Friday, May 17, until 12:01 a.m. Saturday, May 18
- Trajectory: Southeast
- Local sonic boom: No
- Booster landing: Drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean
- Live coverage: If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage, FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team will provide updates at floridatoday.com/space , starting about 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where can I see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County?
The best views to watch a rocket launch is along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions and cloud cover, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north.
• Pretty much anywhere in neighboring Brevard County, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes Melbourne Beach , which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.
• Sebastian Inlet Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
• Wabasso Beach Park , 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso
• Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)
• South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)
• Merrill Barber Bridge in Vero Beach
• Alma Lee Loy Bridge in Vero Beach
• Fort Pierce Inlet , 905 Shorewinds Drive
• Blind Creek Beachside North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce
• Blue Heron Beach , 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce
• Frederick Douglass Memorial Park , 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Dollman Park Beachside , 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Herman's Bay Beach , 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• John Brooks Park Beachside , 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Middle Cove Beach , 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce
• Normandy Beach in Jensen Beach
• Pepper Park Beachside , 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce
• Walton Rocks Beach , which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• Waveland Beach , 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach
• House of Refuge and beach , 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart
• State Road A1A causeway in Stuart
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here .) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com . Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: NASA Starliner launch: Best places to see from Sebastian, Vero, Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach
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