New data from space confirm that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage struck the lunar surface on Wednesday morning. Satellite imagery and telescopic footage show the impact site, where the collision created a crater and kicked lunar dust into space.
The rocket stage, which launched in January 2025, ended its journey after gravitational forces and solar activity pushed it off its path. While some circulating videos show fake simulations of the event, validated imagery from the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute confirms the actual impact.
Astronomers note that the collision was difficult to observe from Earth due to glare from the sunlit moon. However, the event provides researchers with data on how debris from artificial objects behaves on the moon. Scientists plan to compare this new crater to previous impacts to refine models of lunar cratering.
NASA officials and SpaceX maintain that such impacts are a safe and standard method for disposing of space hardware. Because the moon lacks an atmosphere, it frequently sustains impacts from meteoroids, and human-made objects are expected to encounter the surface on missions involving high-energy trajectories. SpaceX stated that it works to maintain space safety while continuing to advance launch operations.