SpaceX Rocket on Collision Course with Moon

A SpaceX rocket, launched more than a year ago, is unexpectedly hurtling towards the Moon and is set to crash into its surface next week. The upper stage of the rocket is traveling at approximately 8,700 kilometers per hour. Experts note that a slight nudge could have sent it towards the sun instead, but the trajectory is now firmly aimed at lunar impact.

The collision is scheduled for Wednesday, with the rocket expected to hit a desolate plain near the Einstein crater. Scientists anticipate the impact will create a new, sizable crater and scatter lunar rock and debris into orbit around the Moon. While this specific event is not a primary concern for researchers, it highlights a growing worry about space junk.

Space expert Bill Gray told the Associated Press, "It's starting to get a little crowded up there." This incident marks the second known instance of a rocket accidentally crashing onto the Moon; a Chinese rocket made a similar impact in 2022, forming several craters.

The observations from this upcoming rocket collision are intended to help scientists understand how future astronauts might need to navigate around similar debris. The rocket was originally launched in January of the previous year carrying two private lunar landers, one of which crashed while the other successfully landed. The lander carried equipment from NASA for experiments.

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It's starting to get a little crowded up there.