SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage crashes into the Moon

The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the Moon near the Einstein crater on August 5, 2026. The impact occurred at an estimated speed of 8,700 kilometers per hour, creating a crater between 18 and 30 meters in diameter.

Astronomers had been tracking the fragment, which had been drifting in an elliptical orbit between Earth and the Moon since January 2025. The collision released energy equivalent to approximately three tons of TNT. Observations from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope and NASA confirmed the event. Scientists detected a plume of sodium and lithium gas following the impact, providing data on lunar soil and rocket composition.

While the event drew significant attention due to the involvement of SpaceX, NASA noted that such impacts occur regularly, typically from meteoroids. The data gathered from this unplanned collision will assist planetary geologists in refining models of crater excavation and material dispersal, which is critical for planning future lunar bases.