Watch the flames build as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 sends Cygnus XL toward the space station
A stunning close-up view captures the flames building and the exhaust plume growing as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 lifts off with Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft on April 11, 2026. The rocket was carrying approximately 11,000 pounds of cargo and science investigations to the International Space Station.
Credit: SpaceX
