Short answer: watch on the launch provider's own channel. It's free, and it's the real stream.
- SpaceX: spacex.com and X (@SpaceX).
- NASA: NASA+.
- Rocket Lab: rocketlabcorp.com/livestream.
- Blue Origin: BlueOrigin.com.
- ISRO, ULA, Arianespace and JAXA: their official YouTube channels.
- China: CGTN, the state international broadcaster, carries major launches live.
The webcasts we checked started between 10 and 55 minutes before liftoff.
Every big launch provider streams its own launches for free. Here is where to find each one, with the links taken from the provider's own pages.
Where does each provider stream its launches?
| Provider | Official stream | When coverage starts (from a recent mission) |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | spacex.com mission page, and X @SpaceX | About 10 minutes before liftoff (a recent Starlink mission) |
| NASA | NASA+, plus NASA's YouTube and X accounts | Varies by mission |
| ISRO | Launch streaming page on isro.gov.in, and ISRO Official on YouTube | Varies by mission |
| Rocket Lab | rocketlabcorp.com/livestream | About 30 minutes before launch |
| Blue Origin | BlueOrigin.com | 30 minutes before launch (New Glenn's third mission) |
| ULA | Mission page on ulalaunch.com, and United Launch Alliance on YouTube | Varies by mission |
| Arianespace | Mission page on arianespace.com, and Arianespace on YouTube | Varies by mission |
| JAXA | JAXA Channel on YouTube | About 55 minutes before launch (H3 Flight 10) |
| China | CGTN, on its website and YouTube | Varies by mission |
"Varies by mission" means we didn't find a standard start time on the provider's own pages. Check the mission page on launch day.
SpaceX (Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Starship)
Each launch has a mission page on the SpaceX launches page. Before liftoff, the page says when the webcast starts. For one recent Starlink launch from California, the mission page said the webcast would "begin about 10 minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX."
For Starship dates, see the Starship launch schedule and the next Starship launch. If you want to watch in person, read our guide on where to watch a Starship launch.
NASA
NASA Live says its launch coverage streams on NASA+, which is free. It also streams on NASA's X and YouTube accounts, and on services such as Discovery+ and Amazon Prime. Some of those may need a subscription.
Launches from Wallops Island, Virginia, stream on the NASA Wallops YouTube channel, according to NASA's Wallops visitor page.
ISRO
ISRO puts up a launch streaming page on isro.gov.in for each mission, with the video embedded. Here is the one for GSLV-F17/EOS-05. Its official YouTube channel is ISRO Official.
For the next one, see ISRO's next launch. To watch in person at Sriharikota, see our Launch View Gallery registration guide.
Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab says its webcast goes live from about T-30 minutes at rocketlabcorp.com/livestream.
Blue Origin
For New Glenn's third mission, Blue Origin said live coverage on BlueOrigin.com would start 30 minutes before launch.
ULA
ULA posts a page for each mission on its website, like this one for Vulcan USSF-87, with the launch video embedded. Its site links to its YouTube channel, United Launch Alliance.
Arianespace
Arianespace posts a page for each flight, with live coverage and a liftoff replay. Here is the one for Flight VA270. Its website links to its YouTube channel, Arianespace.
JAXA
JAXA streams H3 launches live on its YouTube channel, JAXA Channel, and on Niconico. For H3 Flight 10 with the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, JAXA's broadcast page said coverage would run from about 55 minutes before launch to about 75 minutes after.
China
CGTN, China's state international broadcaster, carries major Chinese launches live. For example, it streamed the Shenzhou-23 launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on 24 May 2026, on its website and YouTube.
Tips
Our advice, which is our own judgement:
- Use the provider's own channel. Unofficial "live" streams on YouTube often replay old footage.
- For the time in your own time zone, check our launch schedule or today's launches.
Want to watch in person instead? Start with how to watch a rocket launch.
