On August 5th, a SpaceX Falcon upper stage collided with the Moon near the Einstein crater. The booster, which weighed roughly 4,000 kilograms, struck the lunar surface at speeds reaching 9,000 kilometers per hour. This impact occurred after the stage helped launch two lunar landers into space. NASA and international partners tracked the object closely leading up to the event.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) successfully captured high-resolution imagery of the resulting impact site between August 11th and 12th. Capturing these images required precise orbital maneuvers. The LRO team had to tilt the spacecraft toward the exact location while maintaining perfect timing as the satellite passed over the lunar surface. Even a minor error in timing would have caused the crater to drift out of the camera's view.
The collected data indicates the crater is approximately 18 meters wide and 3 meters deep. Scientists identified the impact site by analyzing the fresh ejecta visible in the images. This material appears brighter than the surrounding lunar surface, which has been darkened over time by micrometeorite impacts and space weathering.
The process relied on coordination between multiple agencies. NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies calculated the potential impact zone in advance. They shared this trajectory data with the Danuri spacecraft, operated by the Republic of Korea. Danuri provided initial images that helped narrow the search area to within one kilometer of the actual site. These coordinates allowed the LRO team to focus their instruments effectively.
SpaceX maintains that this event is an isolated occurrence. While the company typically manages the disposal of its hardware, officials stated that complex gravitational influences and unexpected solar activity resulted in the trajectory that led to the lunar collision. The data gathered from the site now provides researchers with new information regarding how high-velocity impacts alter the lunar landscape.