SpaceX rocket stage to impact Moon, creating new crater

The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, owned by Elon Musk's company, is set to collide with the Moon's surface early Wednesday, August 5. The object has been drifting in space for over 18 months since its launch.

Scientists are anticipating the impact, which poses no risk to Earth, as it offers a unique opportunity to study a celestial collision with precisely known parameters. The rocket stage is traveling at approximately 8,700 kilometers per hour. While the exact moment of impact may be difficult to observe from Earth, the collision will create a new crater that can be analyzed by lunar-orbiting probes.

The Falcon 9 upper stage was launched in January 2025 to deliver two commercial payloads, Blue Ghost from Firefly Aerospace and Resilience from Japan's Ispace, to a lunar trajectory. After completing its mission, the rocket stage lacked enough fuel for a return to Earth or trajectory alteration, leading to its uncontrolled drift until lunar gravity intervened.

This event, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative aimed at strengthening lunar exploration and preparing for sustained human presence, differs from natural meteorite impacts. Researchers have precise data on the object's mass, velocity, trajectory, and impact angle, identified in orbital records as 2025-010D. This information will allow for comparisons with scientific models to better understand lunar crater formation.

The impact is scheduled for 00:35 Mexico time on Wednesday. Optimal viewing conditions for observing the phenomenon are expected in South America and mid-latitudes of North America, where darkness will aid observation.