Blue Origin’s mammoth New Glenn rocket is due to get off the ground from Florida − and it’s possible other states can see it light up the sky.
Teams with Blue Origin were prepping for New Glenn’s third ever rocket launch with liftoff planned between 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. ET Sunday, April 19, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Towering more than 300 feet high, the rocket is among the largest of its kind in the world. It’s also central to Jeff Bezos’ ambitions for his Blue Origin spaceflight company to compete with fellow billionaire Elon Musk and SpaceX in the commercial rocket market.
Ahead, New Glenn will be the rocket to launch Bezos’ growing Amazon LEO broadband satellite network – a direct challenge to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite business – and could even later in 2026 propel Blue Origin’s lunar lander to the moon. Blue Origin is also in talks with the U.S. Space Force to expand New Glenn operations to the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
For now, though, the New Glenn rocket is next due to be the launch service provider for a broadband company’s satellites.
Though rockets in Florida lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center or nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, it’s possible for spacecraft to be seen far beyond the launch pad, including in other states: In December 2023, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket was spotted from Boca Raton to Cedar Key to Myrtle Beach. And in February 2025, people in Fayetteville, North Carolina, posted photos and video of a Falcon 9 rocket after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, Florida. More recently, in February 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was seen about 150 miles away from Cape Canaveral in West Palm Beach, Florida. In March 2026, people in New Jersey reported seeing a SpaceX rocket in the sky.
Most recently, NASA’s Artemis II rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center was visible across the state − from Gainesville, Fort Myers and Jupiter.
Pending weather conditions and cloud cover, the New Glenn launch could be visible from Florida to North Carolina, according to Blue Origin’s visibility map (see below).
Visibility from most of Florida is possible, according to Blue Origin.
What time is Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida?
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket will launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite into low-Earth orbit. A two-hour launch window will be from 6:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. ET Sunday, April 19, 2026. Liftoff has a southeast trajectory from Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Which states can see Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida? See visibility map
Blue Origin provided a helpful graphic (see above) that shows the New Glenn rocket launch and its intended flight path and launch visibility on Sunday, April 19, 2026, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This also includes PLF Jettison or separation and jettison of the payload fairing, solid rocket booster jettison, booster separation and when visibility extends across Florida up the Eastern Coast toward Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and west toward parts of Alabama.
How to watch and livestream Blue Origin rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida
When and where: Full coverage of the launch, including a live webcast with live tweets and updates, kicks off two hours before liftoff 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.
Photos after liftoff of Blue Origin New Glenn rocket launch from Florida
Watch some rocket launches with NASA+ on Prime Video
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NASA content, including some rocket launches, is available to watch through NASA+ on desktop, both from its official site and YouTube. The platform is also available to download as a mobile app on smartphones.
All NASA+ content is also available to those who have Prime Video downloaded on any of their devices – whether it be a smartphone or smart TV.
The content, which does not require a Prime subscription to view, is one of Prime Video’s FAST channels (free ad-supported television). Viewers can find it under Prime’s Live TV section at the top of the screen when they open the app.
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Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida rocket launch may be seen in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina
Reporting by Jennifer Sangalang, Eric Lagatta, Rick Neale, Brooke Edwards and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
