SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage scheduled to impact Moon on August 5
abc7. com reports that SpaceX plans to have a 40-foot Falcon 9 upper stage strike the Moon near Einstein Crater on August 5 at about 5,400 mph, providing a rare opportunity for scientists to observe the impact. Earlier coverage from Yahoo and USA Today noted that the decommissioned stage, which launched a lunar lander in January, is expected to create a small crater and a dust plume observable by researchers.
IFLScience added that the kinetic energy of the impact is comparable to roughly 2. 8 tons of TNT, while Nautilus highlighted that the event underscores gaps in international lunar governance.
Actors
SpaceX
Steven A. Hauck
Case Western Reserve University
Astronomers worldwide
Locations
Hawthorne, California, United States
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
