All eyes are on NASA's massive Space Launch System spacecraft on launch day, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. And people in Duval County may see it.

This rocket launch near Cape Canaveral, Florida, will send four astronauts further in space than any humans before them.

By the way, Artemis II isn't the only rocket launch from Florida this week. SpaceX is planning a much more routine rocket launch for Thursday, April 2, with a northeast trajectory (see below).

The second under NASA's multibillion-dollar moon program, the Artemis II mission will send three Americans and one Canadian on a 10-day journey around the moon and back. While no landing is in store for the astronauts, the mission serves as a vital test flight to lay the groundwork for humans to make it back to the surface in as little as two years.

Along the way, the Artemis II astronauts will make history, venturing about 250,000 miles in space - further than the record-setting Apollo 13 mission - while seeing a side of the moon that no human has ever seen.

As of 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 1, all signs are looking positive that the mission will get off the ground.

"NASA's Artemis II closeout crew is now completing one of the most critical steps before launch: preparing and closing the crew module hatch to the Orion spacecraft," NASA said in a 3:17 p.m. update.

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 (aka the Space Coast) usually have the best chance at seeing this phenomenon in the sky.

But pending weather conditions and cloud cover, the Artemis II mission's SLS rocket launch could be visible for most of Florida to parts of Georgia, according to NASA.

Here's when and how to watch the Artemis II and SpaceX Starlink launches and the visibility map for tonight's historic Artemis II liftoff.

For questions or comments, email USA TODAY Network Space Reporters Rick Neale at [email protected], Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or Eric Lagatta at [email protected]. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.

Is there a rocket launch from Florida today? Artemis II from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, April 1, 2026

NASA's Artemis II mission: 3 NASA astronauts and a Canadian astronaut will venture around the moon and back during a 10-day flight, helping pave the way for future crewed lunar exploration missions.
Launch: 6:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 1, 2026, with a two-hour window.
Launch trajectory: East.
Launch location: Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Sonic booms for the Space Coast of Florida: No.
Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage: Starts hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

SpaceX Starlink 10-58 on Thursday, April 2

Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Launch window: 7:52 a.m. to 11:52 a.m. ET on Thursday, April 2.
Trajectory: Northeast.
Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Sonic booms: No.
Live FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

Countdown clock to NASA Artemis II rocket launch from Florida

How to watch Artemis II rocket launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida. What time is liftoff?

When and where: Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with a countdown clock, live tweets, traffic and updates on the progression toward launch, kicks off at 10 a.m. ET on launch day, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 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.

NASA Artemis II rocket launch may be visible in Jacksonville, Florida

Though rockets in Florida blast 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.

Pending weather conditions and cloud cover, the Artemis II mission's SLS rocket launch could be visible for most of Florida to parts of Georgia, according to NASA.

According to the visibility map, the Artemis II launch should be visible from the Jacksonville area around 30 to 40 seconds after liftoff.

Watch Artemis II rocket launch from Florida with NASA on Prime Video

NASA content, including some rocket launches and the highly anticipated Artemis II mission from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, 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.

Watch NASA+ content with Amazon Prime Video

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.

Where to see rocket launches from Jacksonville. Can you see rocket launches from Duval County?

Depending on trajectory, weather and cloud cover, there have been sightings of a SpaceX Falcon 9 or United Launch Alliance Delta Heavy rocket launch over the skies of Jacksonville, Florida, which is north of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Where to see a rocket launch in Jacksonville, Florida, area:

Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Neptune Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach and West Atlantic Beach, Florida
Mayport, Florida
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, which touches south Jacksonville Beach
St. Augustine, Florida, which is less than an hour away

Contributing: Kim Luciani. USA TODAY Network

For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space. Another easy way: Click here to sign up for our weekly Space newsletter.

Artemis II, SpaceX launch may be seen in Jacksonville. When to watch them