A spent SpaceX rocket stage crashed into the Moon and raised a cloud of dust
Kyiv • UNN
The second stage of Falcon 9, which had been drifting in space, crashed into the Moon on August 6. The collision was detected through spectral traces of sodium and lithium, while SpaceX called it unintentional.
The spent second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had been drifting in space for more than a year, crashed into the Moon's surface, raising a cloud of dust. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
The collision occurred on the morning of August 6. The object, weighing about 4 tons, which delivered a Firefly Aerospace lander to the Moon in January 2025, crashed into the surface of Earth's satellite at a speed of about 8,690 km/h. Spacecraft were unable to capture the moment of impact up close, but astronomers recorded its aftermath.
The European Southern Observatory reported that the Very Large Telescope in Chile detected spectral traces of gaseous sodium and lithium, which were observed for 5–10 minutes after the collision.
SpaceX called the collision unintentional
We can confirm that the telescope detected spectral lines of gaseous sodium and lithium in the impact plume, which persisted for 5–10 minutes after the impact
According to astronomer Karl Schmidt, the sodium likely came from the lunar soil, while the lithium may have entered the plume from the rocket itself.
SpaceX said that the collision was not planned. Due to the specifics of the mission, the Falcon 9's second stage did not reenter Earth's atmosphere but remained in a lunar orbit, which was subsequently altered by solar activity and gravitational forces. According to Reuters, NASA and SpaceX are already discussing ways to prevent similar incidents in the future, particularly in view of upcoming lunar missions under the Artemis program.