Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
ActiveAs of 23 August 2026, the next launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is Falcon Heavy | Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope on a Falcon Heavy, operated by SpaceX, scheduled for 30 August 2026 at 11:25 UTC from Launch Complex 39A.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the site of Apollo 11, Space Shuttle, and the world's highest launch cadence. Launch Complex 39A has hosted humans to orbit since 1969.
Site history
Orbital mechanics from 28.5623°N
A launch site's latitude determines which orbits are achievable and at what fuel cost. Cape Canaveral at 28.5623°N sets the following constraints:
Satellite train visibility from Cape Canaveral
From 28.5623°N, Cape Canaveral can reach 4 Starlink inclination shells: 43°, 53°, 70°, 97.6° SSO (polar).
Trains launched to higher inclinations are visible from more of the world. A 97° SSO train from Cape Canaveral would be visible at virtually every latitude; a 53° train is visible from latitudes up to ±49° (primarily) — mostly tropical and subtropical regions. In the hours after launch — before satellites raise their orbits — a tight train of 20–60 bright dots crosses the sky roughly every 90 minutes. Use OrbitalNodes' Starlink tracker for exact train pass times.
Cape Canaveral: the missions that made it famous
This is America's historic gateway to space. Mercury and Gemini, the Apollo 11 Moon launch, and the Space Shuttle all flew from the Cape and the adjoining Kennedy complex — and pad 39A, which sent the first astronauts to the Moon, today launches Crew Dragon crews and the bulk of SpaceX's Falcon 9 Starlink flights.
Sitting on Florida's east coast at 28.6°N, it fires out over the Atlantic on a path that reaches the ISS corridor and geostationary transfer orbit efficiently, while spent stages fall safely into the ocean. It runs the highest launch cadence of any site on Earth — which is why the live launch list above is rarely empty.
Cape Canaveral — Launch Site FAQ
Where is Cape Canaveral and who operates it?
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is located at 28.5623°N, 80.5774°W in Florida, USA. It is owned and operated by US Space Force / NASA. The site has conducted approximately 800 orbital launches since its first in 1958.
What rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?
Current vehicles operating from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station include Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Atlas V, Vulcan. Primary customers are SpaceX, ULA, NASA, launching Starlink (28.5°), crew missions, GPS, commercial GEO.
What orbits can Cape Canaveral reach?
At 28.5623°N, Cape Canaveral's minimum achievable inclination is 28.6° (due-east launch). The ISS at 51.6° is reachable with a dogleg manoeuvre. The site can reach orbits between roughly 29° and 98° inclination.
Can I watch launches from Cape Canaveral?
Yes — Cape Canaveral Space Force Station hosts an extremely high cadence of approximately 60 orbital launches per year. Viewing areas are open to the public for many launches. Rockets are often visible for several hundred kilometres after liftoff.
What satellites can I see that were launched from Cape Canaveral?
Satellites regularly launched from Cape Canaveral include Starlink (28.5°), crew missions, GPS, commercial GEO. The ISS was supplied or crew-launched from sites at similar latitudes. Use OrbitalNodes to track any visible satellite in real time.
Why was Cape Canaveral built at this latitude?
Cape Canaveral at 28.5623°N was positioned to access the full range of low-Earth orbits including the ISS corridor. The site has been operational since 1958.
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