NASA published images of a new impact crater on the Moon, which formed after the uncontrolled crash of the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on August 5. NBC News reported this, writes UNN.
Details
The rocket's upper stage crashed into the lunar surface at a speed of about 8,700 km/h. The approximately 4,900-kg spacecraft had remained in orbit after launching two lunar landers in January 2025.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of the impact site on August 11 and 12. To do so, engineers had to change the spacecraft's orientation so that its cameras could record the area during a pass at an altitude of about 97 km above the surface.
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According to NASA, the new crater is about 18 meters in diameter, and its depth is probably no more than 3 meters. Strips of dust and debris ejected during the collision are visible around it.
This is only the second known case of an uncontrolled crash of a human-made object on the Moon. In 2022, a double crater formed on the far side of the satellite after a rocket fragment crashed there; it was linked to China's space program.
The Falcon 9 crash also drew attention to the problem of space debris and the safety of future lunar missions. SpaceX said that the company is working on more responsible handling of equipment after the completion of space missions.
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