SpaceX CRS-35: A Spectacular Sunrise Launch Brings New Science and Solar Arrays to the Space Station
There are rocket launches, and then there are launches that remind you just how ethereal spaceflight can be. This morning's SpaceX CRS-35 launch was one of those experiences.
At 6:33 a.m. EDT on October 13, 2026, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying a Cargo Dragon spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS).
From our viewing location at NASA Causeway East, approximately 4.5 miles from the launchpad, we watched the rocket climb into the predawn sky. What followed was a spectacular display of illuminated exhaust, swirling clouds, and the brilliant streak of the returning booster.
But beyond the remarkable view, CRS-35 carried something equally interesting: more than 6,300 pounds of scientific investigations, supplies, equipment, and new solar arrays for the orbiting laboratory.
A Space Jellyfish Over the Space Coast
As Falcon 9 ascended, its exhaust expanded into an enormous, glowing cloud high above Florida's coastline. The phenomenon, commonly called a space jellyfish, occurs when a rocket launches near sunrise or sunset. While observers on the ground remain in relative darkness, the rocket climbs high enough for sunlight to illuminate its exhaust plume.
At high altitude, the surrounding atmospheric pressure is much lower, allowing the exhaust to expand dramatically. When sunlight strikes those gases and particles, the result can resemble a giant, glowing jellyfish floating across the sky.
This morning, the plume produced intricate patterns of blue, white, and gold against a backdrop of stars, the approaching sunrise and an added bonus of the International Space Station streaking across the sky.
And because this is Florida, we had another unexpected participant in our launch experience: a massive alligator growling not far from where we were standing. Tail and head pointed up at the sky.
There was something amusing (and a little terrifying) about watching one of humanity's most advanced transportation systems heading toward space while an ancient-looking reptile announced its presence nearby like something out of Jurassic Park. Between the glowing jellyfish, the sunrise, and the alligator, it was a memorable morning on the Space Coast.
Research With Connections to Earth
CRS-35 is SpaceX's 35th commercial resupply mission for NASA, delivering equipment and scientific investigations to support research aboard the International Space Station.
Among the experiments are investigations into artificial retinas, human heart tissue, neurodegenerative diseases, and the behavior of unusual glass materials in microgravity.
Although the experiments take place hundreds of miles above Earth, the questions researchers are asking have important implications for life here on the ground.
LambdaVision-1: Manufacturing Artificial Retinas in Space
One investigation, LambdaVision-1, explores whether microgravity can improve the manufacturing process for artificial retinas. Researchers are developing thin, layered protein-based materials that could potentially help restore some visual function in people affected by retinal diseases. On Earth, gravity can influence how materials settle and form layers during manufacturing. In microgravity, researchers can study whether these layers can be assembled more uniformly. The goal is to determine whether space-based manufacturing could eventually contribute to improved retinal implants. The technology remains experimental, but it illustrates how the unique conditions aboard the ISS can help researchers explore manufacturing techniques that are difficult to reproduce on Earth.
Stellar Spheroids: Studying Human Heart Tissue
Another investigation, Stellar Spheroids, focuses on three-dimensional models of human heart tissue. These tissue models, known as spheroids, allow scientists to study how heart cells grow, organize, and function. Researchers are particularly interested in how microgravity influences tissue development and the formation of vascular networks. Understanding these processes could help improve laboratory models of cardiovascular disease and support future research into heart health. It also contributes to a broader question in human spaceflight: how does the space environment influence the development and function of human tissues?
MINDS: Understanding Neurodegenerative Diseases
MINDS investigates inflammation associated with neurodegenerative diseases using brain organoids. Brain organoids are small, three-dimensional laboratory models made from human cells. Although they do not reproduce the full complexity of the human brain, they allow scientists to study certain aspects of brain development, cellular interactions, and disease processes. The investigation incorporates cells from different individuals to better represent biological diversity. Researchers hope to learn more about how inflammation affects neural tissue and whether microgravity provides useful conditions for studying these processes. The findings could eventually contribute to a better understanding of diseases involving neuroinflammation, although any clinical applications would require substantial additional research.
ELF-Unconventional Glass 2: Making Glass in Microgravity
Not all of the investigations aboard CRS-35 involve human health. ELF-Unconventional Glass 2 examines how glass made from unconventional materials forms and behaves in microgravity. On Earth, gravity can influence how molten materials flow, mix, and solidify. Removing much of that influence allows scientists to observe different aspects of glass formation. Researchers will analyze the resulting samples after they return to Earth.
The investigation could help scientists better understand material properties and potentially identify new approaches to manufacturing specialized glass for optical and other technological applications.
More Power for the International Space Station
In addition to the scientific investigations, CRS-35 is delivering the final pair of International Space Station Roll-Out Solar Arrays, commonly called iROSAs. These arrays are part of a major upgrade to the station's electrical power system. Unlike the station's original large solar-array wings, iROSAs use a compact design that allows them to be rolled up for transportation and deployed once installed. The new arrays supplement the station's existing solar panels, helping maintain the electrical power needed for research, life-support systems, and daily operations. The final pair will complete the planned iROSA upgrade, supporting the ISS as it continues its scientific mission and prepares for its eventual retirement. The cargo also includes station maintenance equipment and hardware supporting NASA's Artemis program.
Dragon's Journey to the Station
Following its launch, Cargo Dragon began its journey toward the International Space Station. The spacecraft is scheduled to dock autonomously at the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module at approximately 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, October 15.
Once Dragon arrives, astronauts will begin unloading supplies and transferring scientific investigations into the station's laboratories. Some experiments will be conducted aboard the ISS, while others will involve samples that eventually return to Earth for additional analysis.
Dragon is expected to remain docked until mid-November before returning research materials and other cargo to Earth, with a planned splashdown off the California coast.
This ability to transport experiments in both directions is an important part of the station's scientific work. Launching research into space is only one step. Bringing samples home allows scientists to continue their investigations using laboratories and equipment on Earth.
Beyond the Launch
Watching a rocket lift off is always exciting, particularly when the sky puts on a show like it did this morning. But one of the things I enjoy most about following these missions is looking beyond the launch itself. A rocket leaves Earth carrying supplies, experiments, and equipment. Astronauts aboard the ISS receive that cargo, conduct research, maintain the station, and prepare scientific samples for their eventual return. Researchers on Earth then analyze the results, often building on experiments that began years earlier. What we see from the ground is only the beginning of a much larger process involving scientists, engineers, astronauts, and mission operations teams.
CRS-35 is a reminder that space exploration is not only about reaching distant destinations. It is also about using the environment of space to ask questions, test ideas, and improve our understanding of the world around us.
This morning, those efforts began beneath a sky filled with stars, a glowing space jellyfish, and the sounds of Florida wildlife.
Not a bad way to start the day.
Photography Note: All launch photographs were taken by Sharife Gacel of the Blue Marble Project using a Sony α6000 camera from NASA Causeway East at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on October 13, 2026.
References
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2026, October 13). NASA science, cargo launch on 35th SpaceX resupply mission to station. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-science-cargo-launch-on-35th-spacex-resupply-mission-to-station/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2026, October 7). NASA's SpaceX 35th commercial resupply mission overview. https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasas-spacex-35th-commercial-resupply-mission-overview/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2026, October 7). NASA sets coverage for SpaceX 35th station resupply launch, arrival. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-sets-coverage-for-spacex-35th-station-resupply-launch-arrival/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2026, October 12). NASA's SpaceX CRS-35 mission to launch health research. https://science.nasa.gov/missions/station/nasas-spacex-crs-35-mission-to-launch-health-research/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (n.d.). NASA's SpaceX CRS-35. https://www.nasa.gov/mission/nasas-spacex-crs-35/
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