A SpaceX rocket is about to crash into the moon
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is on a collision course with the moon following a high-energy mission. NASA and independent astronomers are tracking the object, noting that it poses no threat to Earth.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the growing challenges of space debris management and the environmental impact of commercial space exploration.
Part of a SpaceX rocket used to launch a pair of robotic commercial lunar landers is expected to crash into the moon early Wednesday morning. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on Jan. 15, 2025, carrying the Blue Ghost lander developed by Texas-based Firefly Aerospace, as well as Tokyo-based Ispace’s Resilience lander. Blue Ghost successfully soft-landed on the moon in March 2025, while Resilience failed to land safely a few months later. While the rocket’s first stage — the booster used for liftoff — returned to Earth, Falcon 9’s second, or upper, stage served as the in-space workhorse to propel the landers on their path to the moon.
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