Watch Live: Historic Rocket Launch Today – Exact Time, How to Stream, and What to Expect

A predawn spectacle is headed for Florida’s Space Coast as SpaceX targets liftoff today—Tuesday, 8 July 2025—at 4:21 a.m. EDT (08:21 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 mission, designated Starlink 10-28, will deploy 28 new Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit, expanding the company’s ever-growing internet constellation. Launch and weather outlook • Window: Instantaneous liftoff at 4:21 a.m. EDT; no backup window today. • Forecast: 95 % “go” with only minor cumulus-cloud concerns, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. • Vehicle: First-stage booster B1077, flying for the 22nd time. Eight minutes after launch, it aims to land on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” stationed in the Atlantic, marking SpaceX’s 473rd booster-recovery attempt. How to watch live SpaceX’s official webcast on X (Twitter) and YouTube will begin about 15 minutes before liftoff. Local media outlets and live-cam feeds from nearby parks—including Jetty Park, Playalinda Beach and the Exploration Tower—also plan coverage for on-site spectators. Arrive early; Port Canaveral gates often close once parking reaches capacity, and State Road 401 drawbridges may lift 60 minutes before launch. Best public viewing spots • Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral – closest oceanfront line of sight (small fee). • Cocoa Beach Pier – iconic sunrise backdrop. • Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore – unobstructed view straight downrange (park opens 6 a.m.; expect queues). Local officials advise checking Brevard County Emergency Management social channels for traffic updates and temporary causeway closures. Mission profile After stage separation, Falcon 9’s second stage will fire for roughly six minutes, inserting the stack into an initial parking orbit. A subsequent burn will circularize before satellite deployment about one hour into flight. Once operational, the 28 satellites will raise themselves to ~550 km altitude, joining more than 6,700 active Starlink craft that now blanket the globe in Ka- and Ku-band internet coverage. Why this launch matters • Network densification: Starlink 10-28 boosts spare capacity over the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean, regions entering peak hurricane season where resilient connectivity is crucial. • Reuse milestone: Booster B1077 previously flew NASA’s Crew-5 astronauts, a GPS III space vehicle and 17 earlier Starlink batches, underscoring Falcon 9’s rapid-reuse model. • Economic impact: Each Starlink launch pumps an estimated $1–2 million into Brevard County via tourism, hotel occupancy and port fees, according to Space Coast Office of Tourism figures. What’s next on the pad Should weather or technical issues delay today’s attempt, the launch could slip 24 hours; if Starlink flies as scheduled, SpaceX’s next mission is the Polaris Dawn private crewed Dragon, targeted for mid-July from nearby Pad 39A. United Launch Alliance is also stacking its debut Vulcan rocket a few pads north, setting the stage for a busy summer on the Cape. Key times (all EDT) • 3:45 a.m. – SpaceX webcast goes live • 3:53 a.m. – Stage 1 RP-1 loading complete • 4:02 a.m. – LOX loading complete • 4:06 a.m. – Falcon 9 in startup • 4:21 a.m. – Liftoff! • 4:29 a.m. – Stage 1 landing attempt • 5:19 a.m. – Satellite deployment Set your alarms, point your cameras east and keep an eye on the predawn sky—the first light over Florida may actually be rocket fire.