A four-tonne section of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the Moon on Wednesday, marking an unusual artificial impact that scientists hope will provide fresh insights into lunar geology and space debris. While there has been no official confirmation of the collision, the rocket stage was expected to strike the lunar surface at around 0635 GMT.
Scientists await confirmation of impact
The Falcon 9 upper stage was expected to hit the Moon's northern hemisphere near the Einstein Crater at a speed of nearly 8,690 kmph. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter are expected to image the impact site, although confirmation may take several days.
Researchers and amateur astronomers were also watching for a plume of dust and debris generated by the collision.
"It might be possible for folks with a telescope to observe the plume of ejecta created by the impact," said Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
"It is unclear how bright it will be, which is one of the reasons why we are looking to study this event," he added.
Scientists estimate the spent rocket stage weighs about 4,000 kilograms after exhausting its fuel.
No threat to Earth
NASA said the incident poses no danger to Earth and will instead offer an opportunity to study the effects of artificial impacts on the Moon.
"There is no danger to Earth," NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell said.
"NASA will continue to track the booster for training purposes, as well as later observe the impact site for scientific purposes."
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off in January 2025 carrying two lunar landers. While the booster returned to Earth, the upper stage remained in space and later drifted onto a trajectory toward the Moon due to a combination of solar activity and gravitational forces.
Space debris remains a growing concern
Researchers believe the impact could help improve future methods for locating lunar impacts and studying the behaviour of dust and debris following collisions.
The event has also renewed attention on the growing amount of space junk orbiting Earth. According to the European Space Agency, more than 46,000 tracked objects weighing around 17,000 tonnes are currently in orbit. Scientists have long warned that an increasing concentration of debris could raise the risk of cascading collisions, a scenario known as the Kessler syndrome.