On the evening of June 25, an unusual luminous phenomenon appeared in the sky. A bright plume, resembling a fleeting nebula, surprised many observers. The phenomenon, clearly visible from several regions, was not of natural origin. It came from the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The Falcon 9's smoke plume creates a spectacular effect in the night sky.
Credit: SpaceX
This mission, named
Axiom-4, lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida en route to the International Space Station. On board were four astronauts representing India, Hungary, and Poland, among others. The mission is led by
Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, who is guiding this international team through two weeks of orbital research.
The visual spectacle observed in the sky comes from the
condensation and gas plume illuminated by the Sun as the rocket ascended into the upper atmosphere. This type of event is particularly striking when the launch occurs at dusk, while the upper layers of the atmosphere are still sunlit.
Beyond its spectacular appearance, this mission marks a new milestone in the development of private spaceflight. Despite two delays due to weather and technical adjustments, the flight proceeded without incident.
Aboard the Dragon spacecraft, the astronauts will conduct more than
60 scientific experiments in microgravity, covering fields as diverse as cell biology, materials physics, and medical technologies.
How does Falcon 9 rocket reuse work?
The Falcon 9 relies on a recovery technology that allows its first stage to return and land after each launch. This controlled return involves braking through retropropulsion, a guided atmospheric re-entry, and a precise landing on a sea barge or a dedicated ground zone.
This system provides a decisive economic advantage, reducing costs per flight and increasing mission frequency, serving both research and commercial projects.