Can we see the launch from our backyard?Turn the next launch into a space lesson.
Type your ZIP code. You see how far you are from the Cape and whether launches may be visible from home.Type your ZIP code to see if launches may be visible from home. Then print the free watch sheet: a countdown, what to look for, and a launch log your kid fills in.
The rocket is gone in a few minutes. Most launch nights end at "wow."
You hear the rumble and run outside.
By the time everyone has shoes on, the rocket is a dot. Or it is already gone.
Most launch apps are made for grown-up space fans. Many ping you for launches on the other side of the world, and few tell you whether you can see it from home. We have not found one that gives your kid something to do with the launch afterwards.
Three steps from "is it tonight?" to a launch your kid remembers.
- 01
Check your backyard
The ZIP check at the top of this page measures the distance from your ZIP area to the launch pads at Cape Canaveral. Within about 200 miles, launches may be visible when the sky is clear. Night launches are easier to spot than daytime ones. Farther out, you may still catch a night launch low over the horizon.
- 02
Print the watch sheet
One page made for kids 7 to 10. It has a countdown checklist, what to look for in the sky, a launch log to fill in, and a mission patch to design. It comes to your inbox when you sign up.
- 03
Step outside ten minutes early
Find an open view toward the Cape, count down from ten together, and fill in the log while it is fresh. Your kid gets to be the one who spotted it first.
Then the launch becomes a mission.
Countdown Cadets is an app for kids 7 to 10. It shows which launches may be visible from your home. Each launch comes with a short mission briefing, a few quick questions and a patch to earn.
There are no ads in it. Rewards are earned, never bought. A parent area behind your own passcode shows what each child finished.
Not in the app stores yet. The list hears first.
The rocket is gone in minutes. What your kid learned from it can stay.
A small, independent app.
Countdown Cadets is made by one person who loves space, not by a big company.
Every mission, quiz and worksheet is checked against NASA, ESA and JPL sources before a kid sees it.
Have the watch sheet ready before the next launch.
You get the printable watch sheet by email right away. You get one more email when the app is ready for families to try. You can unsubscribe with one click.