Piece of SpaceX rocket believed to have crashed into the moon
NASA says the 4-metric-ton stage could leave a 60-foot crater and a dust plume, offering scientists a rare chance to study lunar impacts.
- On Wednesday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage struck the Moon's western limb near Einstein Crater at about 5,400 mph, likely creating a 60-foot-wide crater and ejecting lunar dust and rock.
- SpaceX director of NASA science Julianna Scheiman explained that solar activity and gravity forces pushed the uncontrolled rocket stage toward the Moon after its January 2025 launch required extra thrust.
- Astronomy software creator Bill Gray noted the impact highlights "a certain carelessness about how leftover space hardware is disposed of," though the collision poses no threat to Earth.
- NASA plans to collect data from the impact to study lunar geology and debris behavior, utilizing observations similar to intentional crashes conducted in the 1970s and 2009 to improve future exploration models.
- To protect the Artemis program's planned lunar base, NASA and SpaceX are discussing ways to prevent future lunar impacts as routine astronaut missions begin later this decade.
138 Articles
138 Articles
NASA downplays the impact of SpaceX's rocket on the Moon, recalls similar tests in the past, and avoids confirming the collision.
The SpaceX booster, which had drifted in space for more than a year, crashed into the moon on the morning of August 5, at a speed of about 8,700 kilometres per hour. The moment of impact was around 9:35 a.m. Moscow time. The scientists have yet to confirm the impact and obtain the images of the crater.
A part of a SpaceX rocket crashed on the Moon this morning. Scientists stated that at the time of impact the speed of the rocket, 12 meters long and 4,500 kg heavy, was about 8,700 km/h and created a new crater on our satellite. The collision force was equivalent to the energy released [...] The article A SpaceX rocket crashed on the Moon at 8,700 km/h: created a 27-metre crater comes from The Daily Fact.
The upper deck of a SpaceX rocket probably crashed on the Moon on Wednesday, an incident "anticipated, but unwanted" according to an expert.
Associated Press News
Scientists are certain a wayward SpaceX rocket slammed into the moon as predicted
Scientists say they're certain that a SpaceX rocket has slammed into the moon as predicted. The high-speed crash has yet to be officially confirmed.
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