NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, With Some Help From a Korean Spacecraft

A SpaceX Falcon upper stage crashed into the Moon on August 5th, impacting the near side near the Einstein crater. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of the impact site on August 11th, using a polar orbit to image the Moon's surface. The images showed the crater was about 18 meters wide and 3 meters deep, with different lighting and shadows highlighting the impact's features. The LRO's images were captured from different angles, revealing ejecta and surrounding material affected by space weather. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) calculated the impact area and provided coordinates to the LRO, which confirmed the accuracy of the CNEOS' predictions. The impact was a one-off event, and SpaceX claims they follow regulations for space debris disposal, though the crash was influenced by gravity and solar activity.

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