A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is expected to collide with the Moon on August 5, 2026, at a speed of nearly 8,700 km/h, creating a new impact crater and offering scientists a rare opportunity to study lunar impact events.
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- A discarded SpaceX rocket upper stage, launched during a lunar mission more than a year ago, is expected to unintentionally impact the Moon on August 5, 2026.
- Space tracking expert Bill Gray estimates the rocket will strike the Moon at approximately 8,700 km/h (5,400 mph) near the Einstein Crater on the Moon’s sunlit western limb.
- The collision is expected to generate energy equivalent to nearly three tonnes of TNT, forming a fresh crater and ejecting dust and rocky debris into lunar space.
- Scientists believe the brief impact flash may be too faint to observe directly, but the dust plume could remain visible through telescopes for several minutes after the collision.
- Researchers are encouraging both professional and amateur astronomers to monitor the event, as it provides valuable data on lunar surface impacts and debris behaviour in a low-gravity environment.
- Experts noted that the impact was accidental and could have been avoided if the rocket stage had been redirected into a solar orbit after completing its mission.
- This will be the second known accidental rocket impact on the Moon, following the crash of a Chinese rocket stage on the lunar far side in 2022.
- Scientists say the observations will improve understanding of impact hazards, which is important for planning future human missions and long-term lunar exploration.