Who can see Delta IV Heavy launch from Cape Canaveral? Visibility extends Miami to Tampa
Editor's note: Delta IV Heavy rocket launch from Cape Canaveral is scheduled for 12:53 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 9.
Original story:
When United Launch Alliance launches its Delta IV Heavy rocket − for the final time − people way outside the Space Coast of Florida could possibly see it light up the sky.
Depending on cloud cover, Floridians (and visitors) as far as Jacksonville, Cape Coral and Miami could see ULA's Delta IV Heavy as it roars into the sky from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Visibility from most of Florida is possible, according to ULA.
Below is information on ULA's powerful rocket, the Delta IV Heavy, how to watch the launch and suggestions on where to watch it if you're in the Space Coast area or close to it.
About the last Delta IV Heavy rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
It's the final countdown for Delta IV Heavy, United Launch Alliance's powerful rocket.
At 12:53 p.m. EDT Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the Delta IV Heavy rocket, which had been dubbed by ULA as "the most metal of rockets," was set to deliver NROL-70, a National Reconnaissance Office mission, to space from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The mission marks the 389th and last flight of the Delta program, which dates back to 1960. ULA is replacing the retiring rocket with the next-generation Vulcan, which logged a successful maiden flight in January from Cape Canaveral.
Florida rocket launch calendar: Bookmark this schedule for SpaceX, NASA, ULA events
The Delta IV Heavy made its debut during a December 2004 demonstration flight from Launch Complex 37. At that time, it was the most powerful rocket launched from Cape Canaveral save the Saturn V and space shuttles.
Where to watch Delta IV Heavy rocket launch live from areas close to the Space Coast of Florida
In Florida, we can best see this historic moment in person if you're anywhere on the Space Coast (Brevard County) or certain spots in the First Coast or Fun Coast (Volusia County) or the Treasure Coast (Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County). Pro tip: If you do watch it in person, get to your viewing destination early and prepare to stay later after the launch because of heavy traffic.
Which cities can see Delta IV Heavy rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida?
ULA provided a helpful graphic (see above) that shows Delta IV Heavy's intended flight path and its launch visibility:
Launch, Space Coast, Orlando, northern part of the Treasure Coast, Indian River County, Sebastian, Vero Beach, parts of northern part of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill
1: Launch + 30 seconds, Space Coast, Orlando, northern part of the Treasure Coast, Indian River County, Sebastian, Vero Beach, parts of northern part of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Oak Hill
2: Launch + 60 seconds, Space Coast, northern part of Daytona Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Treasure Coast, possibly Martin County, possibly St. Lucie County, parts of East-Central Florida like Orlando, near University of Central Florida, Bithlo
3: Launch + 90 seconds, visibility extends to Orlando, Sanford, Kissimmee, Daytona Beach, other parts of Central Florida
4: Launch + 120 seconds, visibility extends to Port St. Lucie, Lakeland, Sebring, Winter Haven, Palatka, St. Augustine
About 130 seconds (Port/Starboard, booster jettison), visibility extends to include most of central and East Coast of Florida
5: Launch + 150 seconds, visibility extends to West Palm Beach, Ocala, the Village, Sebring, most of central and East Coast of Florida, Tampa, parts of West Coast of Florida
6: Launch + 180 seconds, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tampa, Arcadia, North Port, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida
7: Launch + 210 seconds, visibility extends to Hollywood, Florida; the Everglades, Hialeah, Miami, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida
8: Launch + 240 seconds (booster engine cutoff); visibility extends to Hollywood, Florida; the Everglades, Hialeah, Miami, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida. It could include Homestead and possibly Key Largo
Beyond 240 seconds, Delta IV Heavy should see center booster separation and main engine start, according to the ULA graphic.
9: Launch + 270 seconds, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida
10: Launch + 300 seconds, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida
Beyond 300 seconds, the graphic shows Delta Heavy payload fairing jettison.
11: Launch + 330 seconds, most of central and East Coast of Florida, parts of West Coast of Florida
Clearwater and St. Petersburg appear to be out of range. Interestingly, the Bahamas and Freeport are in the launch visibility zones.
The above guidelines are estimates based on the graphic provided by ULA.
What is Delta Heavy?
Delta Heavy refers to United Launch Alliance's Delta IV Heavy rocket. The ULA rocket made history for its transportation of the NASA Parker Solar Probe in 2018 and the first orbital test flight of the Orion crew capsule in 2014.
It was following the success of this flight that NASA’s Orion crew capsule flew on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, successfully demonstrating an uncrewed mission around the moon in 2022. ULA assisted in this flight as well, as the organization designed the upper stage of the SLS rocket.
The Orion spacecraft is set to take Artemis II astronauts around the Moon in late 2025.
How big is Delta IV Heavy rocket? What’s the size and power of ULA Delta IV Heavy rocket?
The Delta IV Heavy rocket has three Delta IV core stages together. According to the ULA website, each rocket engine produces up to 702,000 pounds of thrust. With this performance, one can see why ULA dubbed it "the most metal."
These engines are not small either. Just one engine weighs around 14,876 pounds and is 204 inches (17 feet) in length. Powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, the Delta IV Heavy appears to "set itself on fire" just before liftoff as buoyant hydrogen gas, which is used to cool down the rocket before launch, ignites and burns off. The fiery start may look frightening, yet it's part of the process.
Browse the photo galleries or video attached to this story.
No launch Thursday, March 28: ULA Delta IV Heavy final launch
The Delta IV Heavy rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with a classified payload on the NROL-70 national security mission, conducted in tandem with the National Reconnaissance Office and the Space Force’s Space Systems Command. The massive rocket launches the NRO's heaviest satellites. The missions that Delta IV Heavy carried were not all related to science; many were for navigation and U.S. security. Delta IV transported mostly NRO, US Air Force, and US Space Force payloads, getting them safely to their orbit or destination.
The Delta IV Heavy made its debut during a December 2004 demonstration flight from Launch Complex 37.
Mission: United Launch Alliance's last Delta IV Heavy triple-core rocket will launch on the NROL-70 national security mission.
Launch: Here's a link to the Space Team's live coverage blog. At 2:47 p.m. Thursday, March 28, ULA called a scrub. There will be a 24-hour turnaround. No launch for Thursday, March 28. Click on the live coverage blog link above for updates.
Location: Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Local sonic boom: No
Booster landing: None
Live coverage: Starts two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
Info: Visit ulalaunch.com.
How to watch Delta IV Heavy rocket launch online, from your phone, iPad or tablet with FLORIDA TODAY Space Team coverage
When and where: Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, kicks off about 11:30 a.m. EDT Thursday, March 28, 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.
Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Delta IV Heavy rocket launch: Florida cities where you can see liftoff
