(VIDEO) SpaceX Launches 32 Payloads on Bandwagon-5 Mission, Creating Rare 'Space Jellyfish' Over Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 32 payloads into orbit early Tuesday, lighting up the morning sky over Central Florida with a rare glowing plume known as a "space jellyfish."

The Bandwagon-5 rideshare mission lifted off at 7:04 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, one day after weather forced SpaceX to postpone the launch.

The rocket carried a mix of small satellites, including CubeSats and microsatellites, along with reentry vehicles designed to return to Earth.

A 'space jellyfish' over Florida

The early-morning timing of the launch produced a striking visual effect that drew attention from residents across Central Florida.

The phenomenon, often called a "space jellyfish," occurs when a rocket launches shortly before sunrise or after sunset. While observers on the ground remain in darkness or twilight, the rocket's exhaust plume high in the atmosphere is lit by sunlight. As the gases expand in the thin upper atmosphere, they spread into a glowing, bell-shaped cloud with trailing streaks that can resemble a jellyfish drifting across the sky.

The effect depends on precise timing and clear skies, making it relatively uncommon. Photos and videos of Tuesday's display quickly spread on social media.

Weather delay

SpaceX had originally planned to launch the mission Monday morning but called off the attempt because of poor weather in the area where the rocket's first-stage booster was set to land.

The company said on X that it was retargeting the launch for Tuesday due to "unfavorable recovery weather conditions."

Recovery weather is a key consideration for SpaceX, which lands and reuses its Falcon 9 boosters to reduce launch costs. Rough seas or high winds in the landing zone can prevent the booster from safely touching down on its droneship.

Booster landing

After separating from the rocket's upper stage, the Falcon 9's first-stage booster attempted to land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The booster, designated B1085, was flying for the 19th time, according to launch-tracking data, highlighting SpaceX's growing reliance on reusable rockets. Reports following the launch indicated that the booster landed successfully on the droneship.

SpaceX's fleet of Falcon boosters has now completed hundreds of landings since the company first recovered a booster in 2015, a capability that has transformed the economics of spaceflight.

What was on board

Bandwagon-5 is part of SpaceX's rideshare program, which allows multiple customers to share space on a single rocket, lowering the cost of reaching orbit for smaller companies, universities and government agencies.

The mission's 32 payloads included satellites from a range of commercial and government customers. Among them were synthetic aperture radar satellites from Finnish company ICEYE, which can capture images of Earth's surface day or night and through clouds.

The flight also carried two reentry capsules. One was Starfall, a reentry vehicle developed by SpaceX, and the other was W-7, built by California-based Varda Space Industries.

Varda develops capsules designed to manufacture pharmaceuticals and other materials in the microgravity of space before returning them to Earth. The company has flown several missions as it works to commercialize in-space manufacturing.

The Bandwagon program

SpaceX launched its Bandwagon rideshare series to complement its Transporter missions, which typically send payloads to sun-synchronous polar orbits.

Bandwagon missions instead deliver payloads to mid-inclination orbits, which can be better suited for certain types of Earth observation, communications and technology demonstration missions.

The previous mission in the series, Bandwagon-4, launched from Cape Canaveral in November 2025.

A busy launch schedule

Tuesday's mission adds to an extremely busy year for SpaceX and for Florida's Space Coast, which has become the world's busiest spaceport.

SpaceX regularly launches Falcon 9 rockets multiple times per week, many of them carrying its own Starlink internet satellites. The company also launches commercial satellites, national security payloads and astronauts to the International Space Station.

Rideshare missions like Bandwagon have helped expand access to space for smaller companies and startups, which can book a spot on a Falcon 9 for a fraction of the cost of a dedicated launch.

Watching launches

For residents and visitors across Central Florida, early-morning and evening launches often provide some of the most dramatic views, especially when conditions produce effects like Tuesday's "space jellyfish."

Space enthusiasts can track upcoming launches through SpaceX's website and social media accounts, as well as launch schedules published by Space Coast news outlets and tourism organizations.