SpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage Expected to Impact Moon on Aug. 5
A spent Falcon 9 upper stage will strike the Moon’s near side on Aug. 5, 2026, prompting astronomers to observe the impact and resulting dust plume.
Astronomers worldwide are preparing to record a lunar impact as a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage, cataloged 2025-010D, is slated to hit the Moon on Aug. 5, 2026 at about 06:35 UTC. The object, a 12-meter-long, 4-meter-wide, 4-tonne metal shell, will strike sunlit terrain near the eastern limb, making the event visible from Earth.
Scientists involved in the tracking effort noted that the impact could produce a brief flash and a plume of dust rising several kilometers, offering a rare opportunity for both professional and amateur observers to document a real-time collision. Simulations suggest the stage will crumple on impact, forming a crater roughly 20-30 meters wide.
"It is important for several reasons; firstly, impact flashes, similar to those observed by the Artemis II astronauts are the result of objects hitting the moon," said Steven A. Hauck, chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. "Because scientists know when and where the impact will happen, observations can help improve our understanding of the properties and number of very small asteroids that hit the moon."
Hauck added that debris from the impact will remain on the Moon and poses no threat to Earth, emphasizing the scientific value of the event for future lunar seismometer missions and studies of small-body impacts.