SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage completed its landing at Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to a NASA space station blog post published on October 1, 2026. The second stage engine then shut down, and the Dragon spacecraft was expected to separate from the second stage and continue its journey to the International Space Station.

Earlier in the flight, the rocket reached Max Q, the point of peak aerodynamic stress as the vehicle climbed through the lower atmosphere. The first stage then shut down its main engine, a step known as main engine cutoff, and the two stages separated. After separation, the first stage performed a boostback burn to begin its return toward Earth for the landing in Florida.

The post did not include further details on the mission's payload or timeline.