SpaceX rocket launch on Mother's Day: Best viewing spots in Sebastian, Vero, Fort Pierce

Here’s one pretty unique way to celebrate Mother’s Day: Treat Mom to brunch, then stick around for a late-night launch.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will potentially lift off Sunday, May 12, on one of the most popular holidays for parents − Mother’s Day. The rocket will carry Starlink internet satellites.

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, the rocket launch could be visible in the sky above the Treasure Coast. Below is a calendar for upcoming rocket launches and suggestions on where to watch them. If there are changes to the launch, this story will be updated.

Is there a rocket launch today in Florida? Rocket launch calendar for Florida missions

Here's what we know about the rocket launch missions, mentioned in FLORIDA TODAY's rocket launch calendar for the month, 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.)

FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides interactive launch coverage at floridatoday.com/space with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or tweet him @rickneale1 on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. You also can reach out to Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com or @brookeofstars on X and @brooke_of_stars on Instagram.

When’s the next rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida? Sunday, May 12: SpaceX Starlink

A National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning includes a SpaceX Starlink mission window that will open Sunday night:

Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Launch window: 8:11 p.m. EDT Sunday, May 12, to 12:42 a.m. EDT Monday, May 13

Location: Launch Complex 40

Trajectory: Southeast

Local sonic boom: No

Booster landing: Drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean

Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?

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 from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here 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 people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, 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: Florida rocket launch: Where to watch from Fort Pierce, Treasure Coast

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