Falcon 9 upper stage set to impact Moon in August 2026

NASA expects that the unused upper stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will strike the Moon on 5 August 2026 at around 06:35 UTC. The 12‑metre long, 4‑tonne metal cylinder will hit at roughly 8 700 km/h, creating a crater 20‑30 metres across near the Einstein crater on the lunar far side. Because the object is a hollow aluminium structure, it will shatter on impact rather than penetrate deeply, producing a dust plume that may rise several kilometres.

The impact is being treated as a scientific opportunity. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will fly over the expected site days before and after the event to gather high‑resolution imagery. Ground‑based telescopes and other orbital assets will also observe the optical flash and ejecta plume. Scientists hope to use the data to refine impact‑model predictions and assess how space debris can affect future lunar missions. The event poses no hazard to existing or planned lunar activities; as William Cooke of NASA remarked, “it will be very, very hard to see, if not impossible.”