When the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, can the capital’s residents see it?
Perhaps, people in Tallahassee have reported seeing a takeoff of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket (see video below).
SpaceX’s mammoth Falcon Heavy rocket — more powerful than the space agency’s Falcon 9 — will potentially lift off this week. Depending on the weather, the Falcon Heavy should be visible from almost anywhere on the Space Coast and outlying areas, possibly hundreds of miles away.
Here’s more information about the rocket launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.
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What is the SpaceX Falcon Heavy?
Falcon Heavy is the first three stages of the Falcon 9 rocket – which together give three times the height. The Falcon 9 hub is fully loaded with the rocket’s second stage and payload. The payload, in this case the NOAA satellite, is wrapped in fairing to protect it on its way to space.
By comparison, the Falcon 9 that launches the Starlink missions is a single rocket. Just one of these single rockets is 229.6 meters high with the second stage and has a diameter of 12 feet.
With three of these Falcon 9 rockets, the monster Falcon Heavy stands at the same height. However, it is much wider, giving it a width of 39.9 feet, which is comparable to almost three cars parked bumper to bumper.
How big is the Falcon Heavy? How does the SpaceX Falcon Heavy compare to the Falcon 9 rockets?
The photo galleries attached to this story show scenes of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launch (morning, afternoon or night) from Florida’s Space Coast. From Titusville to Tallahassee, it’s about 300 miles.
The Falcon Heavy, which consists of three first stages of the Falcon 9 rocket, could potentially be seen outside the Space Coast, weather permitting and depending on cloud cover.
Will it rain today in Cape Canaveral, Florida? Will weather cancel SpaceX rocket launch?
Featured is the National Weather Service-Melbourne radar, which shows real-time conditions for the Space Coast and other parts of Florida.
Can you see a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral, Florida, in Tallahassee?
In the January 26, 2023 YouTube video above by user Wright, “Starlink 5-2 launched from Cape Canaveral early this morning at 4:32 AM ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch was visible from Tallahassee. About 1.5 to 2 hours after liftoff, light from the sun began to illuminate the exhaust and clouds produced by the ascent of the SpaceX Falcon 9 first stage.”
Additionally, millions around the world watched on February 6, 2018, as 27 Merlin engines roared to life at the Kennedy Space Center, lifting SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket into the evening sky. More than 100,000 visitors to Florida’s Space Coast witnessed the historic demo flight of the world’s most powerful rocket. Interestingly, that bright orange-yellow spot in the sky could be seen from parts of the capital.
If the clouds cooperate, it’s possible the June 25, 2024 launch of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket could be visible as far away as Tallahassee. When the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California in October 2018, it was seen by skywatchers from hundreds of miles away.
In a June 24, 2019 story, Tallahassee Democrat Ken Kopczynski, president of the Tallahassee Astronomical Society, who writes columns for the Tallahassee Democrat as the “Sky Boy,” said for the best viewing find a spot with a clear view in east/southeast cloudless. In the story, Kopczynski suggested “The Alford Greenway or Cypress Landing Boat Launch overlooking Lake Miccosukee. The Costco parking lot on Mahan Drive might also provide a good view of the skyline.”
Video, tweets of SpaceX rocket launch near Cape Canaveral, discovered in Tallahassee, Florida
Photos, tweets of missile launch seen in Tallahassee, Florida
Contributed by: William Hatfield, Tallahassee Democrat and Emre Kelly, FLORIDA TODAY
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for the USA TODAY-Florida Network. Follow him I tweet or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
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Image Source : www.tallahassee.com
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