First Images Show Moon's New Crater After Stray Rocket Impact

The first visual evidence of the Moon's newest impact site has emerged, showing a fresh crater created by the accidental crash of a SpaceX rocket stage. Images captured by South Korea's Danuri spacecraft reveal a distinct area of darker terrain where the Falcon 9 upper stage struck the lunar surface.

Danuri, operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, passed over the impact zone shortly after the rocket stage inadvertently collided with the Moon. The spacecraft made multiple passes, providing before-and-after photographic evidence of the event. The images clearly show the disturbed lunar soil and ejected dust and rock, forming the newly created crater.

NASA is also set to contribute to the ongoing observation of the impact site. The agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is scheduled to fly over the location next week. This will provide additional data and imagery to further document the aftermath of the rocket's collision. The Falcon 9 upper stage had been placed on an accidental collision course with the Moon due to solar activity and gravity after its launch in 2022.

Prior to the satellite images, astronomers using a telescope in Chile had detected a plume of sodium and lithium stretching for tens of kilometers into space, lasting for at least five to 10 minutes following the impact. This observation provided early confirmation of the collision's effects.