SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at sunrise on Sunday, creating a spectacular visual for observers along the East Coast. The Starlink 10-27 mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 6:53 a.m. EDT (1053 UTC).
As the rocket ascended on a northeasterly trajectory, the rising sun illuminated its second-stage exhaust plume, producing a striking phenomenon known as the “jellyfish effect.” The rocket is carrying 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites, which are scheduled to deploy into low Earth orbit approximately one hour after launch.
The mission utilized the Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1085, marking its 11th flight. Its previous missions include NASA’s Crew-9, Fram2, and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1.
Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 125th successful landing on this particular droneship and SpaceX’s 508th booster recovery to date.
The launch proceeded under nearly ideal conditions, with the 45th Weather Squadron having forecast a 90 percent chance of favorable weather. Meteorologists noted that dry mid-level air would limit cloud and lightning risks, with only a distant concern from low-topped coastal showers.
