SpaceX Launch Creates Glowing Plume Over Eastern US

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying an uncrewed Dragon cargo capsule launched from Cape Canaveral on October 13, producing a glowing plume that residents saw across Florida and other parts of the eastern United States before sunrise. The rocket lifted off at 6:33 a.m. EDT on the CRS-35 mission, SpaceX’s 35th commercial resupply mission for NASA. As it climbed, its expanding exhaust caught sunlight high above the still-dark ground, creating a shape that observers compared to a jellyfish. NASA has described the effect as a result of sunlight illuminating rocket exhaust near sunrise or sunset. Photos and videos shared after the launch showed the bright plume from locations across Florida. Reports also described sightings in other states, including Georgia; some accounts placed the viewing reach as far north as New York. The sightings were based on shared photographs and reports, rather than a systematic record of where the plume was visible. The Dragon spacecraft carried more than 6,300 pounds of supplies and hardware for the International Space Station, according to NASA.