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SpaceX rocket to crash into moon Wednesday morning

A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage will collide with the moon at 2:35 a.m. EDT on Aug. 5, creating a 27-meter crater and prompting NASA and SpaceX to study prevention methods.

Updated last month3 new reports, including NASASpaceflight, Space.com.

·1 min read·13 outlets

In breve

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage will collide with the moon at 2:35 a.m. EDT on Aug. 5. The impact will create a 27-meter-wide crater but poses no threat to Earth or planned lunar missions.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage will collide with the moon at approximately 2:35 a.m. EDT on Aug. 5, 2026.1,6,8 The rocket stage has been drifting in space for over 18 months since its January 2025 launch carrying Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience lunar landers.1,5 The impact is expected to occur at a speed of 5,400 mph, creating a crater approximately 89 feet (27 meters) wide.6,1

The rocket stage weighs between 8,000 and 8,800 pounds (3,600 to 4,000 kilograms) and is 45 feet (13.8 meters) long.5,6 NASA and SpaceX are collaborating to study ways to prevent similar collisions in the future.2 Astronomers note that the moon has endured countless impacts over millions of years and view this event as a potential scientific opportunity.3

The collision will not be visible from Earth due to the timing and location of the impact on the far side of the moon.5,7 This is the first known uncontrolled lunar impact by a rocket stage, though intentional impacts have occurred in past missions.4 The event follows decades of lunar exploration, including the Soviet Union's Luna 2 spacecraft, which performed the first planned crash into the moon in 1959.4

SpaceX has not issued a public statement about the upcoming collision or its potential effects.1,6

Perché è importante

  • The moon's far side, where the impact will occur, is the hemisphere always facing away from Earth and is heavily cratered from past impacts.3

  • Lunar missions, including NASA's Artemis program, aim to return humans to the moon by 2026, increasing the importance of tracking space debris.2

  • SpaceX's Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket used for launching satellites and cargo to orbit, with the upper stage typically discarded after completing its mission.1,5

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Well corroborated13 outlets
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8 reports from 7 outlets. The numbers in the article point here.

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