SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Part Set to Impact Moon

A piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is anticipated to strike the moon on Wednesday at approximately 2:35 a.m. ET, traveling at over 5,000 miles per hour. This segment, part of the rocket's upper stage and comparable in size to a five-story building, was originally used to deliver lunar landers and scientific instruments in January 2025. The impact is expected to occur on the sunlit side of the moon, near the Einstein Crater, and could create a crater with a diameter of at least 17 meters, according to Bill Gray, a scientist who tracks space objects.

SpaceX did not plan for this piece to collide with the moon, and attempts to reach the company for comment have gone unanswered. Brent Garry, a project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, noted that the orbiter will monitor the impact site before and after the collision to assess any surface changes. He mentioned that additional targeting could be conducted about a week following the impact.

While the impact may not be visible to the naked eye, researchers suggest that sensitive telescopes might capture the event. Gray indicated that debris ejected from the impact could form a visible plume against the moon's dark background. Ben Fernando, a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, encouraged those with appropriate equipment to observe the event, acknowledging the rarity of such impacts.