SpaceX Axiom launch: Space Coast hotels are filling up. Where should I stay to watch rocket liftoff?

Jennifer Sangalang, Florida Today
·7 min read
13

Blue skies. Sun. The beach. What can make a weekend trip to Florida better?

How about a crewed rocket launch?

Axiom-2, SpaceX's second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station for Axiom Space and NASA, is "go" for launch Sunday afternoon aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule. With this crewed launch and the uber popular Thunder on Cocoa Beach event, the Space Coast could see a bump in visitors. Hotels here are filling up, and thousands of visitors are expected to visit Brevard County this weekend.

Sunday, May 21: Everything 'go' for launch of SpaceX Axiom-2 private astronaut mission

Bookmark this! Rocket launch schedule has upcoming Florida launches and landings

A May 17 check on travel sites online shows there are still hotel rooms available the weekend of May 19-22, with prices ranging from $85 to $430 per night. Got a party of eight or more? There are rentals available for that, too.

If SpaceX and Axiom teams stand down from this weekend's attempt, a future launch date for the Axiom-2 mission would have to be determined later. As it stands, the launch is slated for 5:37 p.m. EDT Sunday, May 21.

The SpaceX rocket launch and pre-Memorial Day weekend/summer vacation excitement could contribute to the hotel queries. Because Space Coast hotels are filling up, we compiled a guide with tips on where to stay.

What cities should I search for when booking online?

You’re guaranteed to get a beautiful view of the rocket launch anywhere on the Space Coast — so long as the weather and cloud cover cooperate, of course. But if you’re not from the Brevard County area and you’re just visiting, these are the cities you should put in your search queries and the approximate mileage away from Kennedy Space Center. Note, the drive times will be much greater on launch day, so arrive early.

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"On the mainland"

Brevard is a long county with 72 miles of coast. Watching a rocket launch at the beach is popular for tourists and locals. If you're "on the mainland" here, that means you're blocks or miles from the beach. However, the Banana River and Indian River Lagoon run through Brevard, and almost all of these cities on this section below offer a riverfront view perfect for a launch.

  • Mims, 18 miles away

  • Titusville, 14 miles away

  • Port St. John, 12 miles away

  • Cocoa, 12 miles away

  • Merritt Island, 16 miles away

  • Viera, 27 miles away

  • Melbourne, 35 to 45 miles away

  • West Melbourne, 43 miles away

  • Palm Bay, 39 to 48 miles away

If you're staying "on the beach ..."

Watching a rocket launch from the beach is so Space Coast. These are the beach cities you should put in your search queries and the approximate mileage from Kennedy Space Center.

  • Cape Canaveral, 15 miles away

  • Cocoa Beach, 20 miles away

  • Satellite Beach, 30 miles away

  • Indian Harbour Beach, 32 miles away

  • Indialantic, 36 miles away

  • Melbourne Beach, 37 miles away

Cities outside the Space Coast

If you don’t mind a drive, here’s a list of cities (and counties) outside of the Space Coast to put in your search queries for a place to stay. We’ll include the approximate mileage (and traffic time) from Kennedy Space Center. Here's a tip: Leave early to allow yourself plenty of time to find parking and get situated.

Volusia County, north of Brevard

  • Oak Hill, 35 miles away, about 40 minutes

  • New Smyrna Beach, 49 miles away, about an hour

  • Daytona Beach, 63 miles away, about an hour and 10 minutes

Indian River County, south of Brevard

  • Sebastian, 66 to 71 miles away, about an hour and 15 minutes

  • Vero Beach, 69 to 81 miles away, about 75 to 90 minutes

  • Wabasso, 61 to 73 miles away, about 70 to 90 minutes

St. Lucie County, south of Brevard

  • Fort Pierce, 87 to 94 miles away

  • Jensen Beach, 102 to 108 miles away, 90 minutes to two hours

Martin County, south of Brevard

  • Stuart, 116 miles away, about two hours

  • Hobe Sound, 131 miles away, about two hours

Orange County, west of Brevard

  • East Orlando, 45 to 60 miles away, about an hour

  • University of Central Florida, 35 miles away, about 50 minutes

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When should I book to watch SpaceX's Axiom-2 launch?

For now, SpaceX has one attempt for its Axiom-2 rocket launch. It's set for 5:37 p.m. Sunday, May 21. After the launch, stick around: Many spectators in Brevard will likely hear a sonic boom about nine minutes after liftoff because SpaceX, for the first time with a crewed mission, will target a booster landing at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Btw: Before Sunday's Axiom-2 launch, another middle-of-the-night SpaceX Starlink launch is expected from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late this week. Liftoff is set sometime between midnight and 4 a.m. EDT Friday, May 19.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule. Look for FLORIDA TODAY's live launch coverage to begin 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

While you're on the Space Coast

While you're here to see the Axiom-2 rocket launch, might as well make it a mini-vacation.

There are plenty of things to do and places to go. For example, the Space Coast has 72 miles of beach, and some of the best surfers in the world (we're looking at you, Kelly Slater), grew up in this area. Coincidentally, Thunder on the Beach is happening, too. The high-speed boat races will take place all weekend, but the offshore races start about 10 a.m. Sunday with the final race of the day between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. The races will be from Alan Shepard Park to Coconuts on the Beach. Organizers advise getting to the beach early to find parking.

37th annual National Kidney Foundation Rich Salick Surf Festival will be from Sept. 3-5 in Cocoa Beach.

Aside from Kennedy Space Center, the Space Coast is home to Port Canaveral, the second busiest port in the world, and Brevard Zoo.

Places to stay include vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, condo rentals, campgrounds and hotels.

Florida vacation rentals

Sites like Airbnb, Vacation Rental By Owner, hotels.com, search engines like Google and Bing, or third-party travel-booking sites have vacancy info.

Campgrounds in Brevard County and Central Florida

Making the drive to the Space Coast in a camper? Consider these options below from Brevard County Parks and Recreation:

  • Manatee Hammock, a 26-acre campground in Titusville 8 miles away from Kennedy Space Center

  • Wickham Park, a 391-acre campground in Melbourne 31 miles away from Kennedy Space Center

  • Long Point Park, an 84-acre campground in Melbourne Beach 52 miles away from Kennedy Space Center

For a full list of Brevard County Parks and Recreation campgrounds, visit brevardfl.gov/ParksAndRecreation.

There are, of course, some campgrounds just outside the Space Coast.

For a list of Indian River County Parks and Recreation campgrounds, visit ircgov.com/parksandrecreation.

How to watch the Friday SpaceX and Sunday Axiom-2 rocket launches from your phone

If you're not tuning in to the watch from the Space Coast, but want to check it out online, you can. FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team will have full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, in the very early morning of May 19 for the SpaceX Starlink launch (details above) and on the afternoon of Sunday, May 21, at floridatoday.com/space (you can type this on your browser on your phone) and will feature in-depth coverage. Ask our space team editor Emre Kelly or space reporter Jamie Groh 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. FLORIDA TODAY is part of the USA TODAY Network.

► Click here to download FLORIDA TODAY app on App Store

► Click here to download FLORIDA TODAY app on Google Play

Contributing: Jamie Groh and Rob Landers, FLORIDA TODAY

Sangalang is a digital producer and social media champ for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @byjensangalang.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX Axiom-2 launch will draw mega crowds. Where to stay in Brevard