NASA releases images of SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impact crater on the Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured photos of a 60-foot wide crater formed when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage struck the lunar surface on Aug. 5, highlighting growing concerns about space debris.
NASA has published detailed images of a new crater on the Moon created when the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket impacted the surface at roughly 5,400 miles per hour on Aug. 5. The crater, about 60 feet (18 meters) wide and less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep, overlaps an older depression, forming a distinctive pattern visible from orbit.
The photographs were taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a terrain-mapping satellite that orbits the Moon at an altitude of about 60 miles and travels at 3,600 miles per hour. Earlier observations of the impact site were made by the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter under guidance from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which identified the exact location before the LRO captured higher-resolution images. The images show both bright and dark streaks radiating from the crater; analysts say the dark streaks consist of surface soil and rocks displaced by solar radiation, while the lighter streaks originate from deeper material.
"States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies," the Outer Space Treaty states, though the treaty does not define enforcement mechanisms or address private companies.
The incident adds to a series of recent lunar impacts involving spent rocket stages, including a Chinese Long March stage in 2022 and a Russian Luna-25 mission in 2023. Experts note that as commercial and national activities on the Moon increase, the likelihood of additional debris accumulation grows, raising questions about regulatory frameworks and environmental stewardship beyond Earth.