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Errant SpaceX rocket stage set to smash into the moon at 5,400 mph, seven times the speed of sound - NASA a...
Yahoo • • general
Key Points:
- The upper stage of a SpaceX rocket that delivered lunar landers in early 2025 is expected to crash onto the moon at about 5,400 mph several months after completing its mission.
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter will observe the impact, capturing before-and-after images and closely monitoring the rocket's final descent.
- This event provides a rare opportunity to study a lunar impact in real time, with the impact energy estimated to be equivalent to about three tons of TNT.
- Scientists are particularly interested in how the impact will affect the moon's surface and the extent of ejected material, which could be visible over miles due to the moon's lack of atmosphere and wind.
- Understanding the impact's effects will help researchers assess the hazards that debris poses to future astronauts on the lunar surface.
