Uncontrolled Spacex Rocket Set to Impact Moon Next Month
WHO:
Gizmodo - Bill Gray, an independent orbital analyst and creator of the Project Pluto object-tracking software, is involved in predicting the rocket's impact.
Newsweek - Elon Musk's SpaceX is responsible for the rocket.
WHAT:
Gizmodo - The upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket is approximately 39 feet (12 meters) long, 13 feet (4 meters) wide, and weighs about 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilograms).
Gizmodo - The impact will create a dust plume that could stretch several miles above the lunar surface.
Gizmodo - The upper stage will pass within a few kilometers of the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter spacecraft immediately before the crash.
Gizmodo - The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to crash into the Moon.
Gizmodo - The rocket is expected to impact the Moon at more than 5,400 miles per hour (8,700 kilometers per hour).
Gizmodo - The impact will create a new crater approximately 66 to 98 feet wide (20 to 30 meters).
Newsweek - Astronomers are encouraged to observe the event.
WHERE:
Gizmodo - The impact will occur near the Einstein Crater on the Moon's eastern limb.
Gizmodo - Observers in South America and low-to-mid-latitude North America will have the best view of the crash.
WHEN:
Gizmodo - The rocket is expected to impact the Moon at 2:44 a.m. ET on August 5.
Gizmodo - The rocket was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15, 2025.
WHY:
Gizmodo - The upper stage failed to reenter the Earth’s atmosphere after launching the Blue Ghost and Resilience landers.
HOW:
Gizmodo - Bill Gray and his colleagues used an advanced physics simulator to gain a clearer picture of the impact's potential appearance.
Gizmodo - Bill Gray used his tracking software to analyze the rocket's orbit and predict its future path.
Gizmodo - Observers will need to use a telescope in total darkness to view the impact clearly.
(UPDATED July 23, 2026 09:44 UTC)
The upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, measuring approximately 39 feet long and weighing about 8,800 pounds, is set to crash into the lunar surface, creating a dust plume that could stretch several miles high. Just before the impact, this upper stage will pass within a few kilometers of the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter spacecraft. Bill Gray and his team utilized an advanced physics simulator to better understand how the impact might look.
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(UPDATED July 23, 2026 01:29 UTC)
An upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is set to crash into the Moon near the Einstein Crater, creating a new crater approximately 66 to 98 feet wide. The impact is expected to occur at 2:44 a.m. ET on August 5, with the rocket traveling at more than 5,400 miles per hour, and astronomers in South America and low-to-mid-latitude North America will have the best view of the event. Bill Gray, an independent orbital analyst, has been using his Project Pluto object-tracking software to predict the rocket's path after it failed to reenter Earth's atmosphere following its launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on January 15, 2025.