SpaceX Rocket Debris Hits Moon, NASA Investigates Unconfirmed Impact
At a glance
- A defunct SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket part was expected to hit the moon.
- Scientists have not yet visually confirmed the impact.
- NASA has reportedly initiated an investigation.
Story so far
A piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had been floating in space since last year, was projected to crash-land into the moon. The object, described as the size of a school bus and weighing 4 metric tons, was the second stage of a rocket that launched a lunar lander in January 2025. It was expected to strike Einstein Crater on the moon’s western limb around 2:35 a.m. ET (0635 GMT) at a speed of 5,400 miles per hour. Astronomers had determined that solar activity and gravity had pushed the uncontrolled space junk onto a collision course with the moon.
Latest development
A defunct part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was expected to hit the moon's surface on Wednesday morning. However, scientists have not yet visually confirmed this impact. NASA has reportedly started an investigation into the incident.
Latest updates
A defunct part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was expected to hit the moon's surface on Wednesday morning. However, scientists have not yet visually confirmed this impact. NASA has reportedly started an investigation into the incident.
Reports confirm that a piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has crash-landed into the moon, as was previously anticipated.
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