NASA/SpaceX CRS-35 mission launch

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying NASA’s CRS-35 mission, creates the distinctive ‘space jellyfish’ effect as it lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 over Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA, 13 October 2026. The rocket’s exhaust plume expands at high altitude and is illuminated by sunlight while the launch site remains in darkness, creating the ‘space jellyfish’ effect. According to NASA, the mission delivers more than 6,300 pounds of science investigations, supplies, and equipment to the International Space Station, including the final set of Roll-Out Solar Arrays, research materials for artificial retina manufacturing, and 3D heart tissue models to advance scientific research in microgravity.