A pre-dawn Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral sent 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit at 5:25 a.m. EDT, leaving a glowing "jellyfish" cloud over Florida.
The effect formed as the rocket expelled water vapor and carbon dioxide that froze into ice crystals at higher altitude, then caught early-morning sunlight.
Booster 1067 flew for a record 36th time on the mission, extending SpaceX's reuse mark for a Falcon 9 first stage.
The spectacle is most visible near sunrise or sunset, when upper-atmosphere exhaust expands and glows even as the ground below remains dark.
As its Falcon 9 breaks records, is SpaceX's costly bet on the massive Starship a necessary leap or a potential misstep?
With a trillion-dollar IPO looming, can SpaceX's launch profits sustain its costly Starship and AI bets against growing competition?
Can China's state-backed satellite network exploit Starlink's political vulnerabilities to challenge its global dominance?
SpaceX Falcon 9 B1067’s 36th Launch: A New Benchmark for Rocket Reusability and Its Impact on Space Access
Overview
SpaceX's Falcon 9 booster B1067 is set to make its 36th flight on July 9, 2026, marking a new milestone in reusable rocket technology. This mission highlights the growing reliability and economic advantages of reusing rockets, allowing for more frequent and affordable access to space. The Starlink Group 10-42 mission will launch from Cape Canaveral, aiming to deploy 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit. B1067’s repeated use demonstrates how SpaceX is pushing the boundaries of spaceflight, making routine launches possible and supporting the rapid expansion of the Starlink internet constellation.