SpaceX rocket stage set to crash into Moon on Wednesday in rare accidental impact
A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage is on a collision course with the Moon, expected to impact near the Einstein Crater. Scientists view this accidental event as a rare opportunity to study lunar impact dynamics and space debris.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing issue of space debris and provides a unique, albeit accidental, scientific opportunity to observe lunar surface impacts.
A discarded SpaceX rocket stage is expected to slam into the Moon on Wednesday, August 5, in a rare, accidental collision that astronomers around the world hope will unlock new insights into lunar science and the growing problem of space debris. The object, a 3,900-kilogramme Falcon 9 upper stage, has been drifting through space since launching two lunar landers in January 2025. Unable to return to Earth or maintain a stable orbit, it has gradually been pulled onto a collision course with the Moon by gravitational forces. Scientists predict it will strike the lunar surface at around 06:35 UTC, 9:35 am (EAT), at a speed of approximately 8,700 kilometres per hour (5,400 mph), which is more than seven times the speed of sound. The impact will occur near Einstein Crater, close to the boundary between the Moon's near side and far side, on terrain illuminated by sunlight.
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