SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket plume blossoms over Florida | Space photo of the day for Feb. 18, 2026

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The NASA/SpaceX Crew-12 mission launched four astronauts on a journey to the International Space Station.

The Crew-12 Falcon 9 rocket photographed soon after launch on Feb. 13. (Image credit: NASA/John Kraus)

NASA has released a nebula-like view of the SpaceX/NASA Crew-12 mission launching to the International Space Station atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Feb. 13.

What is it?

SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets have been known to create dramatic "jellyfish" plumes of exhaust when viewed from afar, as their nine Merlin engines burn a mix of liquid oxygen and kerosene to generate the thrust needed to punch through Earth's dense atmosphere, resist the force of gravity and achieve orbit.

The image, captured by photographer John Kraus, provided a novel view looking almost directly up and into the rocket's intense exhaust plume as it was shaped and backlit by the furious labors of the Merlin engines.

Following its expulsion, the gas, vapor and soot expanded rapidly into the surrounding atmosphere, forming complex patterns reminiscent of a blooming flower, or a nebula formed in the wake of a supernova explosion in the moment the photograph was taken.

The mission

NASA's Crew-12 mission launched at 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT) on Feb. 13, carrying NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway along with the European Space Agency's Sochie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev on a journey to the ISS.

Their SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and docked with the orbital station on Feb. 14, marking the start of the quartet's eight-month stay in low-Earth orbit as part of Expedition 74.

The ISS had previously been operated by a skeleton crew of three — NASA's Chris Williams and cosmonauts Sergei Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov — following the Jan. 8 medical evacuation of four Crew-11 astronauts due to an undisclosed health issue.

Read our explainer article on the Falcon 9 rocket to find out more!

Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood
Skywatching Writer

Anthony Wood joined Space.com in April 2025 after contributing articles to outlets including IGN, New Atlas and Gizmodo. He has a passion for the night sky, science, Hideo Kojima, and human space exploration, and can’t wait for the day when astronauts once again set foot on the moon.

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