It will be just the second known case of a rocket unintentionally hitting the moon, though the pockmarked lunar surface is evidence that it has taken many hits over its lifetime.

"Watching this one gives us a rare chance to open up ejecta-plume science and calibrate those models against a real event, which matters for every future thing we deliver to the…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage, comparable to a five-storey building, is set to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026, creating a new crater.