Rocket launches in 2025 are expected to outnumber a record-setting 2024, plus new food halls, cruise ships, hotels and more coming to the Space Coast in the new year.
COCOA BEACH, Fla., Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Florida’s Space Coast (VisitSpaceCoast.com) will be home to dozens of rocket launches in 2025, including the highly anticipated fall launch of Artemis II, NASA’s 10-day crewed orbital mission to the moon. With all of the exciting activity in the air — literally — plus new food halls, hotels and cruise ships on the horizon, now is the time to start planning a trip to the Space Coast.
“It’s always a beautiful time to visit the Space Coast, thanks to our amazing weather and endless array of things to do,” said Peter Cranis, Executive Director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism. “Besides witnessing launches from the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral, visitors can rub elbows with locals at any number of our world-class restaurants, with more scheduled to open in 2025.”
With a near twice-weekly rate of launches in 2024, the Space Coast could outpace that busy schedule in 2025. Besides the Artemis II mission, which is slated to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in the fall, the Space Coast will also be home to major launches like the Axiom-4, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, Boeing Starliner-1, the SpaceX Falcon Heavy and several others. There is no shortage of great vantage points to watch rocket launches along the Space Coast, with clear viewing locations at hotels, restaurants, beaches and parks.
Also launching on the Space Coast in 2025 are two new food halls, both in Cocoa Beach. Cocoa Beach Mercado will host 12 independently owned restaurants, catering to every palate, as well as Cocoa Beach’s only craft brewery, with a rooftop bar, covered courtyard and private event space. Destination Downtown Food Hall will feature seven local food vendors, from a coffee shop and bakery to fried chicken and barbecue, along with a craft beer and wine bar.
Five new hotels are set to open along the Space Coast in the new year, bringing almost 600 additional rooms to the area, including the Hyatt Place Cape Canaveral, Compass by Margaritaville Melbourne, Hilton Garden Inn Cape Canaveral, Avid Melbourne-Palm Bay and Candlewood Suites Palm Bay.
Disney Cruise Line’s new 4,000-person ship, Disney Treasure, is sailing out of Port Canaveral starting this month. A new Royal Caribbean ship, the 5,600-passenger Star of the Seas, is scheduled to make its Port Canaveral debut in summer, joining the recently launched Utopia of the Seas. And the 3,500-capacity Norwegian Aqua is set to begin sailing to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral in April.
While rocket launches have people looking skyward, there is also good reason to keep your eyes pointed down to the sand. The Space Coast is home to several species of endangered sea turtles, which nest along the beaches, hoping the hatchlings safely find their way back to the ocean. Visitors can learn about conservation efforts firsthand by joining a nighttime sea turtle walk, usually held in June and July. Among the groups offering guided walks are the Sea Turtle Preservation Society, Canaveral National Seashore, Merritt Island Wildlife Association, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Stella Maris Environmental Research and Friends of the Carr Refuge.
For information on things to do and places to stay on Florida’s Space Coast, go to VisitSpaceCoast.com.
SOURCE Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism
