Is there a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center today?
Not today.
No upcoming launches are on the schedule right now — check back soon.
Times shown in ET. Status updates live from Launch Library 2.
Kennedy Space Center Launch Schedule
Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s historic launch site on Merritt Island, Florida — home of pad LC-39A, where Apollo 11 and today’s Falcon Heavy and Starship-class missions lift off.
Is there a rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center today? No — nothing is currently on the schedule from Kennedy Space Center.
Schedule last updated , direct from the range. All times ET.
Upcoming Kennedy Space Center launch dates
Nothing is on the manifest from Kennedy Space Center right now. Launch schedules shift week to week — check back in a few days.
Also launching from Cape Canaveral
Kennedy’s LC-39A is reserved for larger missions, so in most months the neighbouring Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — 15 minutes south, same viewing spots — carries the bulk of Space Coast launches. Full Cape Canaveral schedule →
| Date | Time (ET) | Mission | Rocket | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13 | 12:54 PM | Amazon Leo (LV-01) | Vulcan VC6L | Go for Launch |
| Sun, Nov 29 | 10:49 AM | Cygnus CRS-2 NG-25 | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Go for Launch |
| NET December 2026 | TBC | CHORUS | Falcon 9 Block 5 | To Be Determined |
| NET December 2026 | TBC | Globalstar 2-R Mission 2 (x 9) | Falcon 9 Block 5 | To Be Determined |
| NET December 2026 | TBC | SDA Tranche 2 Transport Layer D | Falcon 9 Block 5 | To Be Determined |
| NET December 2026 | TBC | BlueBird 14-16 (Block 2 #9-11) | Falcon 9 Block 5 | To Be Determined |
| NET December 2026 | TBC | Dream Chaser CRS 2 Flight 1 | Vulcan VC4L | To Be Determined |
Where to watch
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Official paid viewing with commentary, big screens, and the closest public vantage points (as close as ~3 miles for some launches). Packages sell out fast.
Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore
The closest free-ish public spot to LC-39A (~5 miles) when it’s open — a national seashore with a small per-car fee. Gates close when capacity is reached.
Titusville riverfront (Space View Park, Parrish Park)
Free viewing across the Indian River with direct line of sight to LC-39A, about 12 miles away.
Good to know
KSC launches (LC-39A) and Cape Canaveral launches (SLC-40 and others) are next-door neighbors — if you’re on the Space Coast, the same viewing spots work for both. Check both schedules.
For crewed launches and Falcon Heavy flights, plan like it’s a major sports event: roads jam hours ahead and hotels book out.
Kennedy Space Center launch questions
- What is the difference between a Kennedy Space Center launch and a Cape Canaveral launch?
- They are neighbouring sites about 15 minutes apart on the same stretch of Florida coast. Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s site on Merritt Island; its pad LC-39A handles Falcon Heavy, crewed Dragon flights and other large missions. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the Space Force range just south, and SLC-40 there flies most of Florida’s routine traffic. Because Kennedy takes only the bigger missions, its own schedule is often short while the Cape’s is full — from a viewing spot on the Space Coast, both look much the same.
- Does NASA still launch rockets from Kennedy Space Center?
- Yes, though not on NASA-owned rockets day to day. LC-39A is leased to SpaceX, and NASA astronauts and payloads reach orbit on commercial vehicles — Crew Dragon on Falcon 9, science missions on Falcon Heavy. NASA’s own SLS flies from LC-39B for the Artemis programme. So NASA missions still depart from Kennedy; the hardware underneath them is mostly commercial.
- Can you still watch a Space Shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center?
- No. The Space Shuttle programme ended in July 2011 with STS-135, and Atlantis is now on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. A search for a "shuttle launch schedule" today effectively means the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and SLS flights listed on this page.
- Is "Cape Kennedy" the same place as Kennedy Space Center?
- Not quite. Cape Canaveral was officially renamed Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973 and then changed back, so no launch site carries that name today. People searching for "Cape Kennedy launches" generally mean either Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station next door — both are covered here.
- How far ahead are Kennedy Space Center launch dates confirmed?
- Rarely more than a couple of weeks. Anything more than a month out is usually a placeholder, shown on this page as "NET" — no earlier than — with a month rather than a day. A time given to the minute alongside a "Go for Launch" status is the signal that the T-0 is real.
- Where can you watch a Kennedy Space Center launch for free?
- The Titusville riverfront — Space View Park and Parrish Park — has a direct line of sight to LC-39A across the Indian River from about 12 miles out, and costs nothing. Playalinda Beach gets you closer, roughly 5 miles, for a small per-car fee when the gates are open. The Visitor Complex sells the nearest views, but those packages sell out well in advance.