Connect with us

Florida

SpaceX weekend rocket launch from Florida. Best places to watch

Published

on

SpaceX weekend rocket launch from Florida. Best places to watch


Who’s up for a nighttime launch this weekend? A rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled to lift off.

SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit on Sunday, Jan. 18.

Rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and people in and around Brevard County usually have the best chance at seeing this phenomenon in the sky.

Advertisement

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast is sometimes visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach and as far south as Vero Beach and West Palm Beach.

When there’s a nighttime launch window or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.

Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida and suggestions on where to watch it in person (or virtually via the USA TODAY Network’s Space Team).

Advertisement

For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? Sunday, January 18, SpaceX Starlink 6-100

  • Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
  • Launch window: 5:04 p.m. to 9:04 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
  • Trajectory: Southeast
  • Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
  • Sonic booms: No
  • Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Where to watch the next SpaceX rocket launch from Space Coast of Florida

Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.

If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.

If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.

Advertisement

Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline, (you can even see the pad from some spots).

Some hotspots to check out:

  • Jetty Park Beach and Pier, 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there’s a charge to park.
  • Playalinda Beach, 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there’s a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn’t always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
  • Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park, 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
  • Space View Park, 8 Broad St., Titusville
  • Sand Point Park, 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
  • Rotary Riverfront Park, 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
  • Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village, 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway)
  • Cocoa Village, near the parks and shops or near the docks
  • Various parks on Merritt Island
  • Rotary Park, 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
  • Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island
  • Port Canaveral, with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean at port
  • Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
  • Cocoa Beach Pier, 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
  • Lori Wilson Park, 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
  • Sidney Fischer Park, 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
  • Downtown Cocoa Beach, along Minutemen Causeway
  • Tables Beach, 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach
  • The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach
  • Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach
  • Pineda Causeway
  • Eau Gallie Causeway
  • Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne
  • Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A
  • Paradise Beach Park, aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park)
  • Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)



Source link

Florida

‘She was smashed’: Florida woman accused of driving onto golf course while intoxicated

Published

on

‘She was smashed’: Florida woman accused of driving onto golf course while intoxicated


A Florida woman was arrested after she drove onto a golf course while intoxicated, crashed her car, and found with dozens of miniature bottles of Fireball whiskey, according to authorities.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office identified her as 34-year-old Erika Mayer, of Palmetto.

“She was smashed,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video shared on X earlier this week. “She was drunk — capital DRUNK. Wrecked her car. She said, ‘But I haven’t been drinking.’

The sheriff’s office said deputies responded to a single-car crash near Streamsong Golf Resort on May 14 shortly before 7 p.m. When deputies arrived, they found a red 2018 Hyundai resting on a sidewalk and a woman sitting beside the car.

Investigators said Mayer appeared impaired, displayed slurred speech, poor balance, and incoherent behavior. Deputies also detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath, the sheriff’s office said.

Advertisement

A witness told deputies they saw Mayer driving across one of the golf courses in the area before the crash.

Judd said deputies searched Mayer’s car, where they found 21 open mini bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, two empty 50 milliliter bottles of 99 Brand liqueurs, and an unopened 10-pack of Fireball.

“And she had empty Fireball bottles in her pants,” Judd said, adding that she was “drunker than Cooter Brown” and “had no idea where she was.”

Deputies said they asked Mayer to perform field sobriety exercises and provide breath samples, but she refused both requests.

According to Judd, Mayer told deputies she declined the tests because she heard it was a bad idea to participate in field sobriety exercises.

Mayer was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI with property damage, and refusing to submit to a DUI test. She was also cited for failure to drive within a single lane and possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle.

Advertisement
Comment with Bubbles

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (3)

No one was hurt in connection with the crash, authorities said.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Florida

Florida cities rank among best and worst places to raise a family

Published

on

Florida cities rank among best and worst places to raise a family



Port St. Lucie ranked No. 147 among 182 cities in the United States for places to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.

Port St. Lucie ranked among the best places in the United States to raise a family in 2026, according to a WalletHub study.

Advertisement

The free personal finance website compared 182 cities in the United States to find the best and worst places to raise a family in 2026.

The website scored cities based on these criteria:

  • Family fun
  • Health and safety
  • Education and child care
  • Affordability
  • Socio-economics

Port St. Lucie ranks for best places to raise a family

The rankings range from 1 to 182, with 1 being the best.

  • Family fun rank: 179
  • Health and safety rank: 40
  • Education and child care rank: 160
  • Affordability rank: 135
  • Socioeconomics rank: 70
  • Playgrounds per capita: 101
  • Violent-crime per capita: 4
  • Overall rank: 147

Top-ranked Florida cities to raise a family

  • 49. Orlando
  • 59. Tampa
  • 60. Pembroke Pines
  • 63. St. Petersburg
  • 117. Jacksonville
  • 123. Tallahassee
  • 133. Cape Coral
  • 147. Port St. Lucie
  • 163. Miami
  • 166. Fort Lauderdale
  • 173. Hialeah

Best places to raise a family in 2026

  • 1. Fremont, California
  • 2. Overland Park, Kansas
  • 3. Irvine, California
  • 4. Plano, Texas
  • 5. Columbia, Maryland
  • 6. Bismarck, North Dakota
  • 7. South Burlington, Vermont
  • 8. Charleston, South Carolina
  • 9. Seattle, Washington
  • 10. Boise, Idaho

Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.



Source link

Continue Reading

Florida

As Florida debates property tax relief, a local official analyzed the potential impact on South Florida

Published

on

As Florida debates property tax relief, a local official analyzed the potential impact on South Florida


Florida homeowners who have been lobbying for property tax relief may be closer to receiving it with a newly filed bill in Tallahassee.

Joseph Zamb, who works in real estate, said the ultimate goal should be to eliminate property taxes entirely for homesteaded properties. He believes this step would benefit both investors and homeowners.

“I think that the next step for South Florida, all of Florida, is to completely eliminate property taxes,” Zamb said. “You need to get the American dream back, buy a house, and not have to constantly be paying, paying, paying”.

The official bill calls for a $150,000 homestead exemption in 2027, followed by a $250,000 exemption in 2028. The legislature would then be tasked with creating a long-term plan for the following years.

Advertisement

Broward Property Appraiser Marty Kiar analyzed the potential impact based on 2025 property values. Kiar found that with the $150,000 exemption, the 425,000 homesteaded property owners in Broward would save about $2,100. However, this exemption would mean the county loses $195 million, and schools are down by $294 million. Kiar noted that the current version of the bill does not include a carve-out for schools.

“Whatever city you live in will depend on the loss of revenue to your city, based on how many homesteaded properties there are, how many commercial properties there are,” Kiar said.

The legislature is scheduled to hash out the details next week during a special session. If the bill passes, it would be presented to voters as a constitutional amendment for approval or rejection.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be the most consequential vote that anybody is going to make if anything’s on the ballot in November, because it could potentially change the way things are done,” Kiar said.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending