A four-tonne piece of SpaceX rocket debris that has been drifting through space for over a year is set to crash into the Moon in an unexpected collision. The impact will not create any danger for Earth, but it could leave behind a new lunar crater and provide scientists with valuable data about artificial impacts on the Moon. The object, similar in size to a school bus, is the second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched a Firefly Aerospace lunar lander toward the Moon in January 2025.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Stage to Hit Moon at 8,690 km/h Speed
The abandoned rocket stage is expected to strike the Moon’s surface at around 06:35 GMT, travelling at a speed of approximately 5,400 mph (8,690 km/h). The collision will release a large cloud of lunar dust and rocks, which may reflect sunlight. However, the impact will be difficult to observe from Earth without specialised equipment because of the location of the crash site. NASA expects the collision to create a crater around 60 feet (18 metres) wide and 12 feet (4 metres) deep. The impact will also scatter lunar material across the surrounding area.
NASA to Study SpaceX Rocket Impact and New Lunar Crater
The rocket debris is expected to hit the Einstein crater, located near the Moon’s western limb. Due to its position, the region is challenging to observe from Earth. NASA scientists plan to capture images of the area before and after the impact to study how artificial objects affect the lunar surface. The agency said the collected information could help researchers better understand artificial impacts and their exploration implications. NASA scientist Jimi Russell said, “The impact poses no danger to Earth and Nasa scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event and refine techniques for tracking objects in space.”
Why Did the SpaceX Rocket Debris Start Moving Toward the Moon?
Normally, rocket stages return to Earth after completing their missions. They usually burn up in the atmosphere or fall into the ocean after delivering satellites or spacecraft into orbit. However, this Falcon 9 second stage remained in space because the January 2025 mission required additional energy to send Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander toward the Moon.
After completing its task, the rocket stage became uncontrolled space debris and continued travelling through space among thousands of other objects that spacecraft must avoid. Astronomers later discovered that the rocket body was on a collision course with the Moon after studying its movement.
“What has happened is essentially a mixture of solar activity and gravity forces have put it on a path toward the moon,” Julianna Scheiman, SpaceX director of Nasa science and Dragon programs, told reporters on Monday.
Scientists See Lunar Impact as Rare Research Opportunity
Although the Moon crash was accidental, scientists believe it could help improve understanding of lunar soil and impact behaviour. Bill Gray, creator of widely used astronomy software, said the event could offer some scientific value. “This may be of some probably minor scientific interest, and we may learn some things from it,” Gray said.
NASA and SpaceX Working to Prevent Future Lunar Collisions
NASA and SpaceX are discussing ways to reduce the possibility of similar uncontrolled impacts in the future. Improved tracking systems and better management of space hardware could help prevent unwanted lunar collisions.
The Moon impact comes as SpaceX faces fresh attention from investors after reporting a smaller-than-expected loss and strong revenue growth in its first quarterly report as a public company. Despite the positive financial results, company shares declined as investors remained cautious about SpaceX’s ability to achieve its long-term goals.
