Falcon Heavy — USSF Mission
Three cores light the sky on a high-energy evening trajectory.
Not visible from your location
Liftoff happens during local daylight (the sun is 12° above your horizon), so the plume won't stand out against the bright sky.
Liftoff & visibility window
Falcon Heavy’s three cores lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, producing one of the brightest human-made lights in the night sky. After liftoff the stack arcs east over the Atlantic; side-booster separation and landing burns create distinct bright knots along the trail. Under clear conditions the plume can remain visible for well over ten minutes as it expands high in the upper atmosphere.
Field notes
- 01Expect a brighter, thicker plume than a single Falcon 9 — hard to miss even from cities.
- 02Watch for twin side-booster landing burns a few minutes after liftoff.
- 03Phone cameras on night or long-exposure mode capture the trail well on a steady surface.
Also on the schedule
Falcon 9 — Starlink Group 10-22
A twilight liftoff from the Cape — booster and plume lit by the low sun.
Electron — Rocket Lab “Night Owl”
A slim night launch — fainter than Falcon, still a clean climbing spark.
Venus at Dusk
The evening star hangs low and fierce over the western horizon.