A massive piece of space junk is set to collide with the Moon early Wednesday. The object, an upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched in 2025, has been drifting in space after completing its mission. It weighs several thousand pounds and moves at a speed of 5,400 miles per hour.
Experts expect the impact to occur around 2:30 a.m. The collision should create a crater approximately 90 feet wide on the lunar surface. While the event is not visible to the naked eye from Earth, telescopes may track the dust cloud generated by the crash.
SpaceX did not intend for the rocket to strike the Moon, but researchers see a specific benefit to this event. As NASA works toward establishing a permanent lunar base by 2032, this crash provides data on the risks that debris poses to human habitats and infrastructure on the surface. Understanding these impact factors is a priority for future lunar missions.
This incident follows a 2022 event where an abandoned Chinese spacecraft struck the Moon, resulting in two separate craters. Scientists continue to monitor these collisions to better secure the lunar environment for future exploration. The event serves as a practical lesson in space traffic management as human activity around the Moon increases.