South Korean Satellite Captures Before and After Views of SpaceX Rocket’s Moon Crash
Danuri captured before-and-after images of the crater, helping scientists study ejecta spread and terrain changes after the 4,000-kilogram impact.
- On August 6, The Korea AeroSpace Administration released images from its Danuri orbiter identifying the SpaceX Falcon 9 impact site near Einstein crater following the August 5 collision.
- The impactor, designated 2025-010D, was a Falcon 9 second stage launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 15, 2025, carrying Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost Mission and ispace's HAKUTO-R Mission.
- Danuri's Lunar Terrain Imager and PolCam observed the site from approximately 350 km away, capturing data researchers are analyzing to determine crater morphology and surface reflectance changes.
- SpaceX stated impacts "can happen with objects in these types of orbits," while NASA boss Jared Isaacman noted that meteoroid strikes occur on the lunar surface roughly every six days.
- As lunar traffic increases, Neuraspace boss Chiara Manfletti advocates for designated dumping grounds on the Moon to prevent uncontrolled debris buildup in cislunar space.
120 Articles
120 Articles
What kind of problem is 34 thousand pieces of space junk circling the Earth?
A derelict SpaceX rocket plowed into the moon Aug. 8, reigniting a debate about space junk. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to John Crassidis from the University at Buffalo about the issue.
South Korean satellite spots SpaceX lunar impact
The race for the first before-and-after images of the spent SpaceX rocket on the Moon has been won by the South Korean space agency. The Korean Aerospace Administration (KASA) posted imagery from its Danuri lunar orbiter showing the impact site on the Moon on August 6. The impact was predicted to occur on August 5, and marked a landing on the Moon for SpaceX several years ahead of schedule, just without humans onboard and traveling a good deal f…
Nasa says SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage hit the Moon exactly as predicted, revealing new clues about lunar impacts
On August 5th, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage made contact with the Moon, presenting scientists with a unique opportunity to study this traceable lunar impact. The stage's trajectory had been influenced by solar activities and gravitational forces over time. Observations were conducted through instruments on Danuri and various ground-based telescopes, capturing the impact and debris plume. This controlled disposal method effectively ensures both…
South Korea's lunar orbiter, "Danuri," has captured a photo of the crater created by the fall of the upper part of the Falcon 9 rocket.
A remainder of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the Moon. A telescope in Chile detected sodium and lithium in the cloud that left the impact.
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