Often, if you are close enough and the launch is just after sunset or just before sunrise. Three things decide it: how far you are from the pad, the time of day and the weather. Below is every launch site that has had an orbital launch attempt in 2026, with its time zone and, where it exists, the official place for the public to watch.
What decides whether you can see it?
- Distance. The further away you are, the lower the rocket looks in the sky, because the Earth curves between you and the pad.
- Time of day. A launch 30 to 60 minutes after sunset or before sunrise is the easiest to see from far away. The rocket's exhaust, high in the thin air, is still in sunlight and can glow in white and blue clouds. People sometimes think this glowing cloud means the launch failed. It does not.
- Weather. Low cloud between you and the rocket hides it.
Launch sites used in 2026
20 launch sites have had at least one orbital launch attempt in 2026 so far, counted from the same launch data as our 2026 launch scoreboard.
| Launch site | Country | Launches in 2026 | Main launch companies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA | USA | 69 | SpaceX, Firefly Aerospace, Northrop Grumman |
| Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA | USA | 56 | SpaceX, United Launch Alliance (ULA), Blue Origin |
| Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center | China | 27 | CASC, CAS Space, LandSpace |
| Wenchang Space Launch Site | China | 21 | CASC |
| Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand | New Zealand | 16 | Rocket Lab |
| Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center | China | 14 | CASC |
| Haiyang Oriental Spaceport | China | 8 | CASC, Galactic Energy, Orienspace Technology |
| Plesetsk Cosmodrome | Russia | 8 | Russian Space Forces, Roscosmos |
| Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana | French Guiana | 6 | Arianespace, Avio S.p.A |
| Xichang Satellite Launch Center | China | 6 | CASC |
| Baikonur Cosmodrome | Kazakhstan | 5 | Roscosmos, Khrunichev |
| Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA | USA | 4 | SpaceX, NASA |
| Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India | India | 3 | ISRO, Skyroot Aerospace |
| Tanegashima Space Center, Japan | Japan | 3 | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries |
| Air launch to orbit | Marshall Islands | 1 | Northrop Grumman |
| Andøya Spaceport | Norway | 1 | Isar Aerospace |
| Naro Space Center, South Korea | South Korea | 1 | KARI |
| Spaceport Kii, Japan | Japan | 1 | Space One |
| SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA | USA | 1 | SpaceX |
| Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia, USA | USA | 1 | Rocket Lab |
United States
Vandenberg, California
- Where: Vandenberg Space Force Base, on the central California coast near Lompoc.
- Time zone: Pacific Time (PST/PDT).
- Watching: The base is not open to the public for launches; its Visitor Center is not open to the general public. People watch from outside the base. Twilight launches can often be seen from Los Angeles and sometimes from San Diego. See Can I see the Vandenberg launch from Los Angeles or San Diego? and our Vandenberg launch site guide.
Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center, Florida
- Where: Florida's Space Coast, east of Orlando.
- Time zone: Eastern Time (EST/EDT).
- Watching: NASA says the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers the closest public viewing. There are also free public spots along the coast. See where to watch a rocket launch in Florida and is there a Florida launch today?
Starbase, Texas
- Where: The southern tip of Texas, near the Mexico border. Starship launches from here.
- Time zone: Central Time (CST/CDT).
- Watching: The City of Starbase closes the road and beach next to the launch site for launches. See our Starbase guide and how to watch a Starship launch.
Wallops, Virginia
- Where: NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Rocket Lab launches Electron from its Launch Complex 2 there.
- Time zone: Eastern Time (EST/EDT).
- Watching: NASA runs a free Launch Viewing Area at the Wallops Visitor Center. There are no tickets, and NASA says the parking lot can fill quickly for large launches.
Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands (air launch)
- Where: Northrop Grumman's Pegasus rocket is dropped from an aircraft. Its 2026 launch was flown from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
- Watching: We found no public viewing information. Kwajalein is a US Army site.
China
China launched from four launch centres and from ships at sea in 2026. We found no official public viewing information in English for any of them. See Chinese launches in 2026.
- Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia. China's crewed Shenzhou missions launch from here.
- Wenchang Space Launch Site, on the coast of Hainan Island in southern China.
- Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, in Shanxi province in northern China.
- Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan province in south-west China.
- Sea launches, from ships in the Yellow Sea, off Rizhao and in the South China Sea. Launch data lists them under Haiyang Oriental Spaceport, a sea-launch port in Shandong province.
- Time zone: China Standard Time (UTC+8) at every site.
Russia and Kazakhstan
- Plesetsk Cosmodrome, in Arkhangelsk region in northern Russia. It is used mainly by the Russian military. Time zone: Moscow Time (UTC+3). Watching: we found no public viewing information.
- Baikonur Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan, leased by Russia. Russia's crewed Soyuz flights to the International Space Station launch from here. Time zone: Kazakhstan time (UTC+5). Watching: we found no official public viewing information.
New Zealand: Mahia Peninsula
- Where: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, on private land on the Mahia Peninsula on the east coast of the North Island.
- Time zone: New Zealand Time (NZST/NZDT).
- Watching: Rocket Lab says there is no public access to the launch site. The local council has set aside a public viewing area near Nuhaka, at the end of Blucks Pit Road, about 27 km from the pad. The Wairoa visitor centre says parking is limited and there are no toilets.
Europe's Spaceport, French Guiana
- Where: The Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, in French Guiana on the north-east coast of South America. Ariane 6 and Vega-C launch from here.
- Time zone: French Guiana time (UTC−3).
- Watching: France's space agency CNES runs two viewing sites, about 18 km from the Ariane 6 pad. Carapa is free with no booking, and Ibis needs a booking. CNES also names public beaches in Kourou where you can watch.
India: Sriharikota
- Where: The Satish Dhawan Space Centre, on Sriharikota island on the coast of Andhra Pradesh. ISRO and Skyroot Aerospace launch from here.
- Time zone: India Standard Time (UTC+5:30).
- Watching: ISRO opens a free Launch View Gallery to the public for some launches, by registration. See how to register, our Sriharikota guide and ISRO launches in 2026.
Japan
- Tanegashima Space Center, on Tanegashima island in Kagoshima Prefecture. The H3 rocket launches from here. Time zone: Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). Watching: the centre and the area within 3 km of the pad are closed on launch day. JAXA publishes a map of recommended observation points outside that zone, where the countdown is broadcast.
- Spaceport Kii, in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, used by Space One's KAIROS rocket. Time zone: Japan Standard Time (UTC+9). Watching: the local KAIROS launch support site lists ticketed public viewing sites.
South Korea: Naro Space Center
- Where: Goheung, on the south coast of South Korea. The Nuri rocket launches from here.
- Time zone: Korea Standard Time (UTC+9).
- Watching: we did not find official viewing information in English.
Norway: Andøya Spaceport
- Where: Andøya island in northern Norway. Isar Aerospace's Spectrum rocket launches from here.
- Time zone: Central European Time (CET/CEST).
- Watching: Andøya Space closes safety zones and roads around the site during launches. We found no official public viewing area.
Can't get there?
Most launches are streamed live. See how to watch a rocket launch livestream, launches this month and the 2026 launch scoreboard for every launch this year.
