Discarded SpaceX rocket on a high-speed collision course with the Moon
A discarded SpaceX rocket upper stage is on a collision course with the Moon, expected to impact the surface at high speed. Scientists view the event as an opportunity to study lunar impact craters and assess the growing issue of space debris.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the increasing density of objects in orbit and the potential risks posed to future lunar exploration and astronaut safety.
A drifting SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the Moon after launching a pair of lunar landers more than a year ago.
The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the Moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists — and skygazers — are eager to observe.
Space tracking expert Bill Gray predicts an impact of 5,400mph — seven times the speed of sound — near Einstein Crater on the Moon's sunlit western limb.
While scientists are not too concerned about this particular piece of space junk, it highlights the growing threat as more and more items cram into orbit.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from the Kennedy Space Centre (John Raoux/AP)
"Things are getting crowded up there," said Mr Gray, who plans to view the aftermath from New Brunswick, Canada.
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