A drifting part of a SpaceX rocket is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the Moon on Wednesday morning in a collision that, according to experts, poses no risks to Earth.
This stray piece was part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 reusable rocket, which hoisted two lunar landers and lifted off on January 15, 2025.
It is approximately the length of a London bus, weighs around 4 tonnes, and is the second dead rocket known to have accidentally crashed into the Moon after a similar incident occurred in 2022 with a Chinese rocket segment.
The collision is believed to have happened early Wednesday morning, with scientists estimating a speed of 8,700 kph (seven times the speed of sound) and anticipating a crater of nearly 27 meters across and 5 meters deep on the satellite’s sunlit western limb.
Astronomers were not able to immediately confirm the crash on Wednesday, as the impact flash, lasting less than a second, was probably too dim to see.
