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New photos reveal impact site of SpaceX rocket moon collision
CNN • • science
Key Points:
- New images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reveal a 60-foot-wide crater on the moon caused by the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that crashed on August 5, 2025.
- The rocket’s upper stage was discarded intentionally after delivering two commercial lunar landers but unexpectedly collided with the lunar surface due to orbital dynamics.
- Multiple space agencies, including NASA, the European Southern Observatory, and Korea AeroSpace Administration, collaborated to capture and analyze imagery of the impact site.
- NASA emphasized that the crash posed no threat to Earth or the moon and described the event as a safe and accepted method of disposing of hardware in low lunar orbit.
- Scientists are using the impact data to study the moon’s surface and to enhance preparations for protecting future astronauts and lunar infrastructure.
