SpaceX Falcon 9 stage slammed into Moon, carving 60-foot crater
A leftover stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket slammed into the Moon on August 5, carving out a 60-foot crater near the Einstein crater.
The rocket chunk, weighing about 3629kg and speeding at 8694km/h, had been drifting in space since its January 2025 launch.
This kind of crash is becoming more common as space missions increase, reminding us that even our junk can make history.
NASA images reveal fresh lunar material
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter managed to photograph the fresh impact site just days after the crash.
The images show bright streaks where new lunar material was exposed and darker marks where older dust got stirred up.
For scientists, it's a rare chance to study the fresh impact site and excavated material, a wake-up call to keep better track of our space debris as we explore further.