What to know as Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket crashes into moon, Wednesday
A piece of SpaceX rocket debris is set to impact the moon on Wednesday after drifting in space since 2025. Experts state the collision poses no danger to Earth and will likely go unnoticed, though it highlights concerns regarding space junk management.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the growing issue of space debris and the lack of international regulation regarding the disposal of rocket stages in deep space.
A piece of a SpaceX rocket built by Elon Musk's company is expected to crash into the moon on Wednesday after drifting through space for more than a year. The rocket's upper stage was launched in January 2025 aboard a Falcon 9 mission that carried two lunar landers and scientific instruments to the moon. After completing its mission, the 45-foot section was left in space and was later pulled into the moon's orbit. The 4,900kg rocket debris is expected to hit the moon at about 7:35 a.m. at a speed of around 5,400mph, roughly seven times the speed of sound. Space expert Bill Gray, who developed the Project Pluto software used to track objects in space, said the impact would release energy equal to about three tonnes of TNT. According to him, the collision could create a crater measuring about 17 metres across.
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