One of our bucket-list items to do since we’ve been living in Florida was to see, up close, a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. It’s not everyday you get to see a rocket blast off into outer space, especially if you’ve grown up in the Midwest. I’ve always been in awe of America’s space program, and having watched on TV countless numbers of rockets and space shuttles blasting off into space had given me cause to see one of these launches up close and personal. While NASA has retired the space shuttle program, rocket launches of satellites into outer space are still going strong.
Aunesty was interested in getting a great spot to take photographs of the rocket launch with her Canon and I wanted to use my GoPro to take video footage. When looking into some prime spots along the Atlantic Ocean coastline to watch a rocket launch, our research kept bringing us to the Florida’s Space Coast. Little did I know just how big the Space Coast is. Encompassing all of Kennedy Space Center, the Space Coast starts as far north as Titusville and stretches down along the coast line past Melbourne Beaches Palm all the way down to Palm Bay. It includes Port Canaveral (where all the cruise ships dock, even the Disney cruise boats such as the Dream) and Cocoa Beach, one of our favorite Florida beaches.
Cocoa Beach was the place we chose to watch the latest rocket launch: the Delta IV rocket launch of the WGS-7 satellite on July 23, 2015. Our friends at Visit Space Coast put on a launch party along the beach at the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront hotel, a beautiful location. Free t-shirts were provided as well as activities and games offered to all guests.
At 8:07 PM the Delta IV rocket launched from Cape Canaveral. Our Hilton Cocoa Beach location was about 15 miles south of the launch site, but Aunesty was able to get some great pictures of the launch. I was also able to get a video with my GoPro of the launch as well.
Have you had a chance to visit Florida’s Space Coast? Share your details about your trip in the comments section below!
Wow, that is an amazing experience! I would love to take my kids to see a rocket launch.
THis would be something I would love to take my boys to. Looks amazing and such a memory at that as well.
Wow! That is such a great experience. My daughter would love to watch that one day.
that was is so cool. i want to see it personally ! that was an exciting adventure.never been in FL but i think FL is such a nice place to visit together with your family
We saw the last space shuttle take off on our honeymoon a while back! So cool and beautiful
HOW AMAZING! My kikds would LOVE to do this someday! I need to move out of the midwest first!
I would love to experience something like this. I bet it was amazing!
That would be awesome to watch! I would love to see it in person!
I’ve never seen a rocket launch in person. I think it would be beyond cool to see.
What an amazing experience. I live in Florida and have seen a few shuttles already launched. I would love to see one lift off.
What an awesome experience! I would love to see this first hand!
The one and only time I’ve been to FL we made the same trip. I remember being little and totally in awe of the whole thing. Such a great experience.
Wow! What a sight. I’ve always wanted to see something like this . Ever since I was a kid, how amazing.
So very cool! I grew up around this type of info – my mom worked at NASA on the space shuttles and met all the astronauts and went to the lift offs – Unfortunately I never got to go with her!
Wow .. that must have been so exciting! I would have loved to see that up close .. that is definitely one of those things you have to see
That looks so cool. It would be nice to see this in pperson.
Pinning this for later! We are heading to Florida end of December and are hoping to see a rocket launch while we are down there.
My wife was a semi finalist for Teacher in Space years ago and we love rocket launches.
What an exciting adventure! To see a real rocket launch! Great for families with older children!
That’s so on my bucket list! I nearly saw one when visiting my cousins in Florida once but it didn’t happen for us that time. One day!
It is awesome getting to see NASA Launch shuttles and rockets. Son is a huge fan of visiting Kennedy space center. It’s where he is the happiest.
That is so cool. A rocket launch is on my bucket list.