NASA Releases Images Of Moon Crater Carved By Crashed SpaceX Rocket
NASA has released images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showing a 60-foot-wide crater on the Moon caused by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket impact. The images provide scientific insight into the lunar surface composition and the impact of space debris.
Why it matters
The documentation of lunar impacts is crucial for understanding space debris management and the long-term effects of human activity on the Moon's surface.
NASA on Tuesday released new images of the crater caused by a SpaceX rocket slamming into the Moon earlier this month. The photographs were captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) between August 11 and 12, and show the impact formed by a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage striking the Moon's surface on August 5.Scientists from the US space agency determined the crater was 60-feet-wide (18 meters), and less than 10 feet deep, based on the length of its shadow.The Falcon 9 launched in January 2025 carrying Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander, a private mission that made a soft landing on the Moon.These weren't the first images of the crash site.
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