South Korea's Danuri to capture SpaceX rocket debris impact on Moon

South Korea's lunar orbiter, Danuri, is set to capture a unique celestial event: the impact of a drifting SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage on the Moon's surface. The collision is scheduled for August 5, with the rocket stage expected to hit near the Einstein crater.

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The upper stage of the SpaceX X Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to collide with the lunar surface near the Einstein crater at 3:34 p.m. on August 5 (Korean time), and our lunar orbiter Danuri (KPLO) plans to observe before and after this collision.

This particular rocket stage has been in orbit between Earth and the Moon since its launch in January 2025, carrying two lunar landers. After completing its mission, it failed to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and has been adrift since. The impact, with a mass of 4.9 tons traveling at 2.43 km/s, is anticipated to release energy equivalent to 3 tons of TNT, creating a plume of dust several kilometers high and a small crater.

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The impact, with a mass of 4.9 tons traveling at 2.43 km/s, is expected to release energy equivalent to 3 tons of TNT and create dust plumes several kilometers high and a small crater.

While the impact's effect on the Moon is expected to be minimal, the event holds significant scientific value as it marks one of the first instances where an artificial impact on the lunar surface can be predicted and observed. Danuri, equipped with a high-resolution camera (LUTI) capable of capturing images with 2.5m resolution per pixel from a 100km altitude, will conduct pre-impact observations of the target area. It will also pass over the impact site three times on the day of the collision to secure high-resolution imagery. A wide-view polarization camera (PolCam) will also be used to capture the region.

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Although it will leave localized small traces and have a minimal impact on the entire Moon, it has scientific value as virtually the first case where an artificial impact can be predicted and observed.

International space law currently does not assign responsibility for the disposal of rocket stages in lunar transfer orbits, making legal action or claims for damages unlikely. The Korea Aerospace Administration stated that there are no international regulations mandating the disposal of such debris. Data from Danuri's observations will be analyzed and made public, potentially contributing to future international collaborative research.

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There is little possibility of legal action, such as holding specific companies or countries responsible for this collision. Under the current international space law system, no country can claim sovereignty over the Moon, making it difficult to apply liability for damages or pollution prevention.