Drifting SpaceX Rocket Set to Impact Moon

A drifting SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage is expected to crash into the moon this coming Wednesday. The rocket, which launched a pair of lunar landers in January 2024, has been adrift for over a year. Experts predict the impact will occur near the Einstein Crater on the moon's sunlit western limb at a speed of approximately 8,700 kilometers per hour. The collision is expected to create a crater roughly 90 feet across and 16 feet deep, sending a plume of dust and debris into space.

Scientists from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and other experts intend to observe the event to better understand how debris impacts pose hazards to future astronauts. Because the mass, speed, and trajectory of the rocket are known, researchers can use the event to study how craters form and how the lunar regolith behaves. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter will capture images of the site before and after the crash.

This event marks the second known instance of a rocket accidentally hitting the moon, following a Chinese rocket segment in 2022. While the impact is not considered a risk to Earth, it has sparked discussions regarding space debris. Some experts noted that the crash could have been avoided if the upper stage had been nudged into an orbit around the sun.

Reporting on the event varied by political lean. Center left sources framed the crash as evidence of deficient management of space junk and a growing threat as orbit becomes crowded. Center right sources focused on the event as a learning opportunity for future lunar missions and navigation.