# Sky Launch

> Real-time launch visibility tracker for every US launch site. Built by Joey Bolohan.

## What Is Sky Launch?

Sky Launch answers one question: "Can I see the next rocket launch from where I am?" It tracks all upcoming and recent SpaceX launches across every US launch site and calculates a personalized visibility score based on your exact location, the sun's position, cloud cover, and atmospheric conditions.

## How The Visibility Score Works

Every launch gets a score from 0 to 10 based on four factors:

**Distance from the launch pad** — The closer you are, the higher your base score. Within 20 miles you get a perfect 10. During twilight, launches score a perfect 10 up to 200 miles away because the high-altitude plume is spectacularly visible against a dark sky. Beyond 400 miles, only twilight launches are visible.

**Sun angle and lighting** — This is the biggest factor at distance. Twilight launches (when the sun is 6-18 degrees below the horizon) are the most spectacular because the rocket is lit by the sun while your sky is dark, creating a glowing trail. Daytime launches are harder to spot from far away. The app classifies lighting as Day, Civil Twilight, Nautical Twilight (optimal), Astronomical Twilight, or Night.

**Cloud cover** — Clear skies mean no penalty. Light clouds (under 30%) cost 1 point. Heavy overcast (60%+) costs up to 5 points.

**Atmospheric visibility** — Haze, fog, and poor air quality reduce your score by up to 3 points if visibility drops below 10 miles.

**Score ratings:**
- 9-10: Excellent (highlighted green)
- 7-8: Good (green)
- 5-6: Fair (yellow)
- 1-4: Poor (red)
- 0: Not Visible
- NA: Not Visible

Weather data covers up to 16 days out. Launches further away show "Pending" until forecasts become available.

## Supported Launch Sites

Sky Launch tracks four SpaceX launch sites:

- **Vandenberg Space Force Base** — Lompoc, California
- **Cape Canaveral Space Force Station** — Cape Canaveral, Florida
- **Kennedy Space Center** — Merritt Island, Florida
- **Starbase** — Boca Chica, Texas

You can filter by site or view all launches together.

## What Each Launch Card Shows

Every launch displays:
- Mission name, rocket type, and launch site
- Countdown timer (live, updating every second)
- Visibility arc gauge with your personal score
- Launch status (Go, TBD, TBC, Success, Failure, In Flight)
- Distance from your location in miles
- Sun angle and lighting classification
- Cloud cover percentage and visibility range
- Launch probability when available
- Mission description
- Video links (YouTube, SpaceX webcasts, NASA, and more)
- Embedded YouTube player when a stream is available

The next upcoming launch gets a larger hero card with an animated display.

## Tools On Every Card

- **Share** — Formats launch details with your visibility score and shares via your device's native share sheet, or copies to clipboard
- **Add to Calendar** — Downloads an ICS file with launch time, location, mission details, and automatic reminders at 60 and 15 minutes before launch
- **Visibility Breakdown** — Tap the score gauge to see exactly how each factor (distance, sun, clouds, visibility) contributed to your score, including any penalties

## Getting Started

On your first visit, Sky Launch asks for your location using either GPS or manual city/state entry. Your location is stored locally on your device only. You can change it anytime from the header.

## Past Launches

Recently completed launches (within the past 48 hours) appear in their own section with final status, so you can review what you missed or confirm what you saw.

## Staying Current

Launch data refreshes automatically every 5 minutes. Weather forecasts update with each refresh. A manual refresh button is always available in the header.

## About Sky Launch

Sky Launch was created by Joey Bolohan as a passion project for his two sons, Austin and Hunter. The first time they saw a SpaceX launch was from Palm Desert, California. The exhaust plume caught the sunlight and lit up the entire horizon. For Hunter, it became a core memory — he decided he wants to be an astronaut and learn everything about rockets.

After that experience, Joey found it surprisingly hard to time launches for optimal viewing. You need the launch during a narrow twilight window, with clear skies, from a reasonable distance. No single tool answered the question: "Will I be able to see this launch from where I live?" So he built Sky Launch.

Sky Launch is completely free. There are no ads, no accounts, and no tracking. Your location is stored locally on your device only.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Can I see a SpaceX launch from my location?**
Sky Launch calculates a personalized visibility score (0-10) for every upcoming SpaceX launch based on your exact location. It factors in distance to the pad, sun angle, cloud cover, and atmospheric visibility. Twilight launches are the most spectacular because the plume catches sunlight while your sky is dark.

**How far away can you see a SpaceX launch?**
Under ideal conditions (clear skies during twilight), SpaceX launches can be visible from over 300 miles away. The glowing exhaust plume creates a jellyfish-like effect that can stretch across a large portion of the sky.

**What is the best time to see a rocket launch?**
During twilight — roughly 30 to 90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise. The sky is dark at ground level but the rocket and exhaust plume are still lit by sunlight at high altitude. Sky Launch automatically detects these optimal windows.

**Is Sky Launch free?**
Yes, completely free. No ads, no accounts, no tracking. Built as a passion project by Joey Bolohan for his family.

**Which launch sites are tracked?**
All four active US SpaceX sites: Vandenberg SFB (California), Cape Canaveral SFS (Florida), Kennedy Space Center (Florida), and Starbase (Texas).

**How does the visibility score work?**
The score (0-10) combines distance, sun angle, cloud cover, and atmospheric visibility. A score of 7+ means excellent viewing. Weather data covers up to 16 days out and updates every 5 minutes.

**Can I subscribe to launch notifications?**
Yes. Subscribe to the calendar feed at skylaunch.app/calendar.ics. New launches appear automatically with 60-minute and 15-minute reminders. Filter by site or get all launches.

## Created By

Joey Bolohan — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-bolohan/

Website: https://skylaunch.app
About: https://skylaunch.app/about.html