A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket created a spectacular glowing “jellyfish” in the sky on October 13, 2026, as sunlight lit up its expanding exhaust plumes during an early morning launch. The unusual display, visible across the eastern United States, formed as the rocket carried SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft toward the International Space Station.
Known as a “jellyfish,” this striking phenomenon occurs when a rocket launches near sunrise or sunset. Sunlight illuminates the spreading exhaust high above Earth, producing a bright, glowing cloud that resembles the shape of a jellyfish.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Lights Up the Morning Sky
The mission lifted off at 6:33 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It marked SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply mission for NASA, delivering scientific experiments, essential supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station.
While the rocket’s illuminated exhaust created a spectacular sight across the eastern United States, its cargo could help support important advances in space technology and medical research.
New Solar Arrays and Medical Experiments Head to the Space Station
Among the items aboard Dragon is the final set of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, or IROSAs. These solar arrays are scheduled for installation later this fall and will help expand the station’s ability to generate electricity.
The spacecraft is also transporting equipment for producing artificial retinas in microgravity, a research effort that could eventually lead to treatments that restore vision on Earth. Another investigation involves 3D heart tissue models, which could help researchers develop methods for conducting drug testing on a larger scale during future space missions.
Additional experiments will explore how a new type of glass forms in the near-weightless conditions of space. Scientists will also study brain organoids, miniature models of brain tissue that could help identify potential treatment targets for neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.
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