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SpaceX launches cargo ship to space station in spectacular pre-dawn flight
The launch could produce a visible plume as the Falcon 9 carries the Dragon CRS-35 mission to the International Space Station.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:33 a.m., carrying the CRS-35 mission with more than 6,300 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station.
Early morning launches occurring shortly before sunrise create a "space jellyfish" effect, as sunlight illuminates the rocket's exhaust plume against a dark sky, creating a glowing cloud with wispy trails.
About eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster made a recovery landing at Landing Zone 40; this mission marks NASA's 35th commercial resupply flight, utilizing a Cargo Dragon on its fourth trip to space.
The Dragon spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously with the International Space Station's Harmony module around 11 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, following an approximate 52-hour flight.
This delivery follows the recent departure of Crew-12, which opened a necessary docking port for the Dragon, while the station's other port hosts the Crew Dragon Grace carrying Crew-13, which arrived earlier this month.