Piece of SpaceX rocket leaves new scar on the Moon's face after impact
The rocket launched on Jan. 15, 2025, deploying a lunar lander to the Moon.
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A 4-ton piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket hurdled into the Moon at roughly 5,400 mph, carving out a new lunar crater near the Einstein and Bell craters on Wednesday.
The rocket launched on Jan. 15, 2025, deploying a lunar lander to the Moon.
After the lander delivered its payload, the upper rocket stage trajectory was altered by solar activity and gravitational forces.
In a post on X, NASA Goddard lunar scientist Dr. Kelsey Young explained that intentionally crashing into the Moon is a safe way to dispose of hardware.
Young said since researchers know the size, speed and trajectory of the upper stage, the impact is an opportunity to compare a known collision with the countless natural strikes that have shaped the lunar landscape.
Though invisible to the naked eye from Earth, the collision added another mark to the Moon's face.
