SpaceX targets a sunrise-adjacent launch from Cape Canaveral with 32 payloads aboard, a 95% favourable weather forecast and the possibility of another spectacular sky display.
SpaceX is preparing for another Falcon 9 launch from Florida on Tuesday, October 20, with conditions looking far more promising after bad weather forced the company to abandon Monday’s attempt. The Bandwagon-5 mission is carrying 32 payloads into orbit, but for people watching from the ground, the biggest attraction could be what happens in the sky just after liftoff.
The rocket is scheduled to launch at 7:04 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, just 22 minutes before sunrise. That timing could produce another striking display known as a “space jellyfish”, a glowing formation created when rocket exhaust catches sunlight high above Earth.
Florida witnessed a particularly impressive example last week. The expanding cloud from a SpaceX launch was visible as far north as Washington, D.C., while photographers closer to Cape Canaveral described the spectacle as one of the most remarkable they had seen.
Tuesday’s launch could offer another opportunity, although the display will depend on atmospheric conditions and the rocket’s flight.
SpaceX Bandwagon-5 Launch Time and Weather Forecast
SpaceX has set a launch window extending until 7:30 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, giving the mission some flexibility if liftoff cannot take place at the initial target time.
The weather outlook has improved considerably since Monday’s cancellation. SpaceX reported a 95% probability of favourable launch weather following overnight improvements.
There is still one concern. The weather squadron at Space Launch Delta 45 identified a moderate risk of unfavourable conditions in the area of the Atlantic Ocean where the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster is expected to be recovered.
If the mission is postponed again, Wednesday offers another opportunity. Forecast conditions are expected to remain similar, with a one-hour launch window beginning at 6:30 a.m. EDT.
Why the Falcon 9 Launch Could Create a Space Jellyfish
Space jellyfish is neither a real object nor a body in space. Rather, it is a visual effect that can happen if a rocket is launched just before or just after the time of sunrise or sunset.
In case observers on the ground are witnessing the period of twilight or darkness, the sunlight is likely to hit the rocket exhausts in the upper atmosphere. Thus, the glowing gas will form a glowing cloud shape that looks like a jellyfish floating in the sky.
Such a launch of Bandwagon-5 will make the occurrence possible because its launch is deliberately planned to happen just before the sunrise.
A similar effect appeared during last week’s SpaceX launch, producing a vast illuminated formation that could be seen well beyond Florida.
However, even with clear skies and favourable launch conditions, another display of the same scale is not guaranteed.
Falcon 9 Booster Set for Its 19th Flight
Beyond the potential sky show, Bandwagon-5 marks another demanding assignment for SpaceX’s reusable rocket programme.
The Falcon 9 first-stage booster assigned to the mission is preparing for its 19th flight. After separating from the rocket’s upper stage, it is expected to return to Earth and attempt a controlled landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
The mission is part of SpaceX’s Bandwagon rideshare programme, which transports multiple payloads on a single rocket.
With 32 payloads aboard, Bandwagon-5 will add to the company’s orbital launch activity at a time when departures from Florida have become less frequent.
Florida’s Space Coast Launches Have Slowed in 2026
If completed, Bandwagon-5 would become the 60th orbital launch of 2026 from Florida’s Space Coast, across all launch providers. SpaceX has conducted all but seven of the previous 59 missions.
That pace is notably different from 2025, when the region recorded 109 launches.
SpaceX has reduced its Florida launch activity while working on Starship and Super Heavy infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39-A.
The change has been particularly visible in recent weeks. Since August 30, SpaceX has conducted only four other launches from Florida, a sharp contrast to last year’s pace of roughly one mission every three days.
Other launch providers are also facing delays that have kept their rockets off the pad.
ULA and Blue Origin Face Their Own Launch Challenges
United Launch Alliance is working towards resuming launches before the end of 2026.
Its Vulcan rocket remains under review following problems encountered during its previous flight earlier this year.
ULA’s Atlas V could return sooner. NASA has indicated that Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft might be ready for an uncrewed mission to the International Space Station as early as December. ULA last launched on July 2.
Blue Origin is also working towards a return to flight with its New Glenn rocket.
The company successfully launched New Glenn on April 19, but a major explosion during a rocket hot-fire test in May caused extensive damage at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36.
Repair and rebuilding work has since become a priority, with Blue Origin aiming to restore launch readiness before the end of the year.
NASA, meanwhile, contributed one of Florida’s launches this year through the Artemis II mission. Its Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, sending the Orion spacecraft on a lunar flyby mission.
The next SLS flight, Artemis III, is not expected before mid-2027. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is scheduled to discuss the mission’s progress at Kennedy Space Center on Friday.
What to Watch During Tuesday’s SpaceX Launch
For observers, the two key moments will be Falcon 9’s ascent through the upper atmosphere and the attempted recovery of its first-stage booster.
The 7:04 a.m. launch target offers favourable timing for a possible illuminated exhaust plume, while the planned Atlantic landing will test the booster at the end of its 19th flight.
SpaceX has also shared a live broadcast of the Bandwagon-5 mission through its official X account.
The forecast is encouraging, but the launch and any accompanying space jellyfish remain dependent on the mission proceeding as planned.
For now, the unusual combination of a pre-sunrise launch, clear weather and a heavily reused Falcon 9 booster gives Tuesday’s mission more than one reason to attract attention.
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