Updated April 27, 2026, 2:40 p.m. ET
It’s still launch day!
Though the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket was due to lift off Monday, April 27, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida — the mission was scrubbed — there is another launch with the potential for visibility far beyond the launch pad.
Teams were prepping United Launch Alliance’s mighty Atlas V rocket, set to liftoff just before 9 p.m. ET Monday from Cape Canaveral, Florida (see below).
When it does launch, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket will send a Boeing-built Viasat broadband satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit to provide connectivity to the Asia-Pacific region. A new launch time and date from the private space agency owned by billionaire Elon Musk is set for 10:13 a.m. to 11:38 a.m. ET Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
Below is information on when to see ULA’s Atlas V rocket liftoff and how to watch the Amazon Leo rocket launch.
United Launch Alliance’s mighty Atlas V rocket — which was outfitted with five solid rocket boosters for extra lifting power — is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Monday, April 27, 2026.
And it’s possible other states can see it light up the sky.
Though rockets in Florida lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, it’s possible for spacecraft to be seen far beyond the launch pad, including in other states: In December 2023, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket was spotted from Boca Raton to Cedar Key to Myrtle Beach. And in February 2025, people in Fayetteville, North Carolina, posted photos and video of a Falcon 9 rocket after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida. More recently, in February 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was seen about 150 miles away from Cape Canaveral in West Palm Beach, Florida. In March 2026, people in New Jersey reported seeing a SpaceX rocket in the sky.
Most recently, NASA’s Artemis II rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center was visible across the state − from Gainesville, Fort Myers and Jupiter.
Pending weather conditions and cloud cover, the ULA Atlas V rocket launch could be visible from most of Florida up to New England, according to ULA’s visibility map (see below).
In Florida, we can best see this moment in person, particularly if you’re anywhere on the Space Coast (Melbourne, Florida, area), the Fun Coast (Daytona Beach area) or the Treasure Coast (Vero Beach, Jensen Beach and Fort Pierce).
United Launch Alliance will launch an Atlas V rocket with five solid rocket boosters, sending the next batch of 29 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit. Launch is set for 8:52 p.m. ET Monday, April 27, 2026, with a northeast trajectory from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, kicks off 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space (you can type this on your browser on your phone) and will feature in-depth coverage. Ask our FLORIDA TODAY space team reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards questions and strike up a conversation. You also can watch coverage via the FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network.
United Launch Alliance provided a helpful graphic (see above) that shows the Atlas V-Amazon Leo rocket launch and its intended flight path and launch visibility for Monday, April 27, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. It will be the company’s 6th Amazon Leo constellation mission. The flight path also includes PLF Jettison or separation and jettison of the payload fairing, solid rocket booster jettison, booster separation and when visibility extends across Florida up along the East Coast and west toward Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and parts of Indiana.
According to ULA, “the evening launch will be visible from Florida to New England, if weather conditions in your area permit. This visibility map shows when and where your best chances are to see the rocket as it streaks northeasterly into space.”
Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video
NASA content, including some rocket launches and Artemis II mission coverage, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.
All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.
The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video’s FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime’s Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.
(This story was updated with new information, a new launch date and time for SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.)
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Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.
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