APOD: 2026 October 16 – Chasing the International Space Station
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 October 16 –… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. To view this […]
On October 16, 2026, an Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) showcased a captivating timelapse video of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft pursuing the International Space Station (ISS) during the 35th Commercial Resupply Services mission. Launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the Falcon 9 and Dragon were captured chasing the ISS on the horizon, with the ISS itself appearing from the top of the frame around 8 seconds into the 30-second video.
As the bright streak of the ISS entered the scene heading "down," the first and second stages of the Falcon 9 separated, generating a mesmerizing exhaust plume that illuminated by the rising Sun. The sequence of the first stage boost back, re-entry, and landing burns commenced around 20 seconds into the video. Following the ISS on its trajectory toward the distant horizon, the jellyfish-like exhaust plume remained visible in the predawn sky even after the successful first stage landing at Landing Zone 40 on Earth.
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- APOD: 2026 October 16 – Chasing the International Space Station science.nasa.gov
