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A SpaceX Rocket Will Soon Crash Into the Moon
nytimes.com • • general
Key Points:
- Early Wednesday, a discarded upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to unintentionally crash into the moon near the dividing line between its near and far sides at around 2:35 a.m. Eastern time.
- The four-ton rocket stage will impact the lunar surface at 5,400 miles per hour, creating a heat flash and a plume of debris and dust that may be visible through telescopes, though visibility is uncertain.
- Bill Gray, an astronomer who first predicted the collision, noted there is some hope to observe the impact, but the brightness of the moon may wash out the flash and plume.
- This incident marks the first time a SpaceX object will hit the moon, as the company's Starship spacecraft has yet to reach lunar orbit or surface despite plans for future missions carrying NASA astronauts and cargo.
