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Falcon 9 upper-stage Moon impact : Aug 2026

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2026-08-19 19:14 UTC → 2026-08-20 00:17 UTC · added ~~removed~~

NASA has released high-resolution imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) confirming the details of the crater created by the SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impact on 5 August 2026. The images, captured between 11 and 12 August after a six-day wait for correct orbital alignment, show a crater approximately 18 meters (60 feet) wide and less than 3 meters (10 feet) deep. The impact site is characterized by distinct visual patterns: bright streaks of fresh material excavated from approximately 1.5 feet below the surface and darker rays composed of surface dust and rocks displaced from near the surface. These features have been described as resembling “butterfly wings.” This follows initial observations by South Korea’s Danuri orbiter and spectroscopic detection of sodium and lithium emissions by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. To obtain these images, engineers had to tilt the LRO as it flew 60 miles above the surface to capture the specific site. The Falcon 9 upper stage, which weighed roughly four tonnes and launched on 15 January 2025 to deliver the Firefly Blue Ghost One and ispace RESILIENCE landers, struck the Moon near the Einstein crater at approximately 8,700 km/h (5,400 mph) after an unexpected trajectory change. The impact released energy equivalent to approximately three tons of TNT. While the event was classified as a safe disposal with no risk to Earth, it has intensified global concerns regarding the regulation of cislunar space debris as commercial lunar exploration expands. Scientists have noted that the impact provides a unique opportunity to study lunar surface composition and the effects of high-energy collisions in a vacuum environment.

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