Unintentional impact: SpaceX rocket to collide with the Moon this morning
This is not the first time remnants of human space activity have collided with the Moon, and the phenomenon is becoming a growing concern. The impact will eject a cloud of dust and rock fragments above the lunar surface, though it will be difficult to observe from Earth without a powerful telescope.
A spent SpaceX rocket stage, a remnant from a lunar landing mission in January 2025, is expected to collide with the Moon this morning (Wednesday) between approximately 9:20 and 9:40 Israel time.
The rocket is roughly the size of a bus and weighs about 4 tons. It is projected to impact the Moon at a speed of approximately 8,700 km/h in the vicinity of the "Einstein Crater" on the western side of the Moon's visible face. The collision is expected to create a new crater 4 meters deep and 18 meters wide. A cloud of dust and rock fragments will be ejected above the lunar surface, though it will be difficult to observe from Earth without a powerful telescope.
The Falcon 9 rocket was used as part of the launch process for the Blue Ghost spacecraft by the private company Fire Fly Aerospace. The spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon in March, while the rocket continued to orbit in space, like many byproducts of such missions. Solar radiation pressure, combined with the gravitational forces of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon, pulled it into a collision trajectory.
"Space Junk"
As the Moon becomes a more popular destination and the number of entities aiming to reach its vicinity increases, questions arise regarding the consequences of frequent collisions, especially if and when humans are present on the Moon. NASA plans to establish a space station in lunar orbit and send astronauts to the surface on a regular basis. Such "space junk" could damage expensive mission equipment and pose a risk to the astronauts themselves.
Previously, most rockets used for such missions fell back toward Earth and burned up in the atmosphere. However, as the number of lunar launches increases, this problem is expected to worsen. Such "space junk" is no longer controllable from Earth, and the mission organizers, along with other astronomers, were unaware that an impact was imminent.
Although this is an unintentional event, scientists hope to use it for research to examine how material displaced from the Moon disperses. Simultaneously, teams have been established to calculate future trajectories of "space junk" and attempt to plan upcoming missions in a way that prevents similar incidents.
This is not the first collision of a human-made object with the Moon. The Israeli spacecraft "Beresheet," which intended to perform a soft landing, crashed in 2019. It was significantly smaller, weighing only 164 kg, and did not create a substantial crater. The spacecraft carried tardigrades—tiny creatures known for their ability to survive radiation—and there is a slim possibility they remain there today. Other nations, including Russia, India, China, and the USA, have collided with the Moon intentionally or by mistake since the 1970s. So far, there is no evidence of damage to our natural satellite.
