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It's almost time for NASA's moon flight to lift off — and here in South Florida, you may be able to see it from your backyard.

Why it matters: Artemis II, set to carry four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day mission, marks the first time humans will travel around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The launch from Florida's Kennedy Space Center is set for no sooner than Wednesday at 6:24pm.

How to watch: If there are clear skies, look up! NASA published the following map that shows folks in Miami and Fort Lauderdale will need to wait between 50 and 60 seconds after launch to see the rocket ship. 

Meteorologist Phil Ferro of WSVN Fox 7 and ABC Miami posted on X that if it's not cloudy, mainland South Florida may see the ship about 4 minutes after blast-off.

NASA map showing how to watch Artemis II in Florida and Georgia.

Zoom in: NASA will provide live video coverage of prelaunch, launch, splashdown, and other activities for the Artemis II flight test.

NASA broadcast coverage of tanking operations begins on launch day at 7:45am on YouTube. Full launch coverage begins at 12:50pm on NASA+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.

Follow a virtual tracker to see the Orion spacecraft's location.

Reality check: As is the case with most travel, weather is a factor. If Artemis II cannot launch on Wednesday, the next window is April 2–6.

After April 6, the next launch window is April 30.

South Florida skywatchers may be able to see NASA's Artemis II blast off to the moon

Here's how to catch the moonshot from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

NASA astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency and mission specialist astronaut Jeremy Hansen in Cape Canaveral on March 30. Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Image



NASA astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency and mission specialist astronaut Jeremy Hansen. Photo: Bill Ingalls/NASA/Getty Image

It&#x27;s almost time for NASA&#x27;s moon flight to lift off — and here in South Florida, you may be able to see it from your backyard.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Artemis II" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/03/31/artemis-ii-is-ready-for-takeoff-weather-permitting" data-vars-content-id="15711561-9c38-4cea-ba05-1adb31e4d0a8" data-vars-headline="South Florida skywatchers may be able to see NASA&#x27;s Artemis II blast off to the moon" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2026/03/31/artemis-ii-is-ready-for-takeoff-weather-permitting" target="_self">Artemis II</a>, set to carry four astronauts around the moon on a 10-day mission, marks the first time humans will travel around the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Aerospace

Opening ceremonies for the Summer Olympics in Paris are July 26, and there are plenty of hometown athletes to keep an eye on.

The big picture: More than 40 Team USA athletes will be representing Florida in the games, many from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Several more will compete in the Paralympics, which begin Aug. 26.

Here are just a few athletes and events to watch:

The 20-year-old Delray Beach native and reigning U.S. Open champion is making her Olympics debut. 

Gauff will be a flag bearer for Team USA during the opening ceremonies along with former Miami Heat star LeBron James. (Gauff will be the youngest American – and first tennis player ever – to carry the flag for the U.S.)

Butler, 20, attended Miami Northwestern Senior High School and will be competing in the women's 400-meter race for Team USA.

She's originally from Fort Lauderdale and got her start with the Lauderhill Cheetah Track Organization, per NBC Miami.

Her family started a GoFundMe to pay for their travel to Paris.

The 19-year-old Inter Miami midfielder was selected to the U.S. men's Olympic soccer team, whose roster is limited to players 23 years old and younger.

The Argentine American grew up in Key Biscayne.

His Inter Miami teammate, Diego Gómez, was named to Paraguay's national team.

The 33-year-old Florida International University alumnus is the daughter of a Cuban exile father who competed in judo for the Cuban national team.

Delgado competed at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games and is Team USA's highest-ranked athlete in the world, per her Olympic bio.

The now three-time Olympian is a Miami native born to Jamaican parents.

She is considered "one of the best goalkeepers in the world," according to USA Water Polo.

Johnson became the first African American woman to make a U.S. Olympic Women's Water Polo team in 2016 and supports swimming and water polo programs in Miami.

The 22-year-old Miami native, who attended Florida Virtual School, is a third-generation synchronized swimmer behind her grandmother, mother and sister, per her Team USA bio.

She wants to study architecture after her swimming career ends.

The Fort Lauderdale native qualified for her first-ever Olympics in her fourth attempt at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

She will compete in the Laser Radial, a single-handed sailing event.

"I'm 30 now, and I started pursuing this path when I was 15—it's been a long road. I've been tested every Games cycle, and to finally succeed feels amazing," she wrote on Instagram after qualifying.

The 23-year-old Miami native will compete in Women's iQFOiL, a speedy windsurfing event new to the Games this year. This is her first Olympics.

As the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, Stater lived in five different countries growing up and learned to windsurf on the Rio de la Plata in Argentina.

She attended the University of Miami and sails out of the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and US Sailing Center Miami.

The 25-year-old Miami sprinter will run in her first Olympics in the 100m for Team USA alongside her training mates Sha'Carri Richardson and Melissa Jefferson.

Terry, whose nickname is TeeTee, is a two-time gold medalist in the World Athletics Championships.

She attended Miami Northwestern Senior High School.

He's not a Miami native, but the Miami Heat superstar will still be representing the 305 for the USA men's basketball team.

Captain "Bamerica" won a gold medal in the 2020 games.

South Florida Olympians to watch in Paris

A total of 37 Olympians from Florida will be competing in the games.

Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Opening ceremonies for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Summer Olympics" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/09/chicago-athletes-2024-paris-olympics" data-vars-content-id="ee1dd86c-d912-4ff3-b5e8-81e24fb46af6" data-vars-headline="South Florida Olympians to watch in Paris" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2024/07/09/chicago-athletes-2024-paris-olympics" target="_self">Summer Olympics</a> in Paris are July 26, and there are plenty of hometown athletes to keep an eye on.The big picture: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="More than 40 Team USA athletes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.teamusa.com/athletes" data-vars-content-id="ee1dd86c-d912-4ff3-b5e8-81e24fb46af6" data-vars-headline="South Florida Olympians to watch in Paris" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.teamusa.com/athletes" target="_blank">More than 40 Team USA athletes</a> will be representing Florida in the games, many from Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Carrie Shepherd

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