SpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage Strikes Moon After Year-Long Drift
A four-ton rocket stage from a 2025 lunar mission hit the lunar surface at 5,400 mph.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage crashed into the moon on August 5, 2026, marking a rare instance of a man-made object striking the lunar surface. The collision occurred after the stage spent over a year drifting through space following its initial launch.
The impact was predicted by independent astronomer Bill Grey using tracking data. The rocket stage, which originated from a January 15, 2025, launch carrying the Blue Ghost mission and ispace's Resilience, hit the moon at approximately 5,400 mph (8,690 km/h). Evidence of the collision was captured by the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, which observed a plume of sodium and lithium gas tens of kilometers in size that lasted between five and 10 minutes.
The Mechanics of the Drift
The Falcon 9 upper stage was utilized to place two lunar landers into their required orbits. According to SpaceX, controlled deorbit maneuvers back to Earth are not always possible for high-energy missions like lunar transfers, as nearly all vehicle performance is devoted to successfully placing the payload in the intended orbit. Once the payload was delivered, the drifting stage was guided toward the moon by a combination of gravity and solar activity.
Industry Implications
While the event highlights the growing issue of space debris, NASA maintains that disposing of upper stages on the lunar surface is a technically accepted and safe method. The agency noted that in some cases, this is the only practical option for missions operating in low lunar orbit. For the scientific community, however, the crash provides a rare opportunity to observe the real-time impact of a man-made object on the moon, offering data on how such collisions affect the lunar crust.
Search for the Crater
Efforts are now underway to document the physical aftermath of the crash. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri orbiter have been tasked with imaging the impact site. Prior to the collision, it was predicted that the four-ton rocket would produce a crater approximately 60 feet (18 meters) wide and 12 feet (4 meters) deep. Confirmation of the crater's actual dimensions depends on the success of these orbital imaging missions.