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Wednesday, August 5Wednesday, August 5
A four-tonne upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to crash into the Moon on Wednesday at approximately 06:35 GMT, creating a new lunar crater near the Einstein Crater. The impact, traveling at roughly 5,400 mph (8,690 km/h), poses no danger to Earth, NASA spokesperson Jimi Russell said in a statement.
The rocket stage, weighing about 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms), was part of a January 2025 launch carrying two lunar landers. While the booster returned to Earth, the upper stage remained in space, where solar activity and gravitational forces redirected it toward the Moon, according to Julianna Scheiman, SpaceX director of NASA Science and Dragon Programs. Scheiman confirmed that SpaceX had followed standard procedures for high-energy missions but that the stage’s trajectory shifted unexpectedly.
Scientists anticipate the collision will produce a sunlit plume of lunar dust and debris, potentially visible through telescopes. Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory, lead author of a recent paper on the impact, said the brightness of the plume remains uncertain, prompting further study. NASA plans to track the booster for training and later observe the impact site for scientific research, Russell added.
The rocket stage is expected to strike the Moon’s northern hemisphere, creating a crater roughly 60 feet (18 meters) wide and 12 feet (4 meters) deep, according to NASA estimates. Astronomers, including Cambridge University’s Matt Bothwell, suggested the impact could generate a dust cloud rising over 50 kilometers, visible with sufficient telescopic equipment. Best viewing conditions are expected in eastern parts of the U.S. and Canada, per Associated Press reports.
Independent astronomers first detected the stage’s unintended trajectory toward the Moon, a path later confirmed by NASA. The event follows previous human-made objects striking the Moon, including the Soviet Luna 2 probe in 1959. NASA and SpaceX officials emphasized the scientific value of observing the impact, with Scheiman noting excitement among researchers to study the collision’s effects.
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4 further sources not geolocated
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