Abandoned Spacex Rocket Set to Crash Into Moon at High Speed

WHO:

Yahoo - Bill Gray, an independent astronomer, is tracking the rocket's trajectory through his Project Pluto software.

The Conversation - SpaceX is the company responsible for the abandoned rocket.

WHAT:

Yahoo - A five-story chunk of a spent Falcon 9 upper stage rocket is expected to crash into the Moon.

Yahoo - The rocket will impact the lunar surface at approximately 5,400 mph (roughly 2.4 km/s).

The Conversation - The impact is expected to excavate a crater roughly 20–30 meters across and eject a cloud of lunar dust several kilometers above the surface.

The Conversation - The crash poses no danger to Earth or ongoing lunar operations.

WHERE:

Yahoo - The impact will occur near the Einstein crater on the Moon, located at approximately 19°N, 267°E.

WHEN:

Yahoo - The rocket is expected to impact the Moon on August 5, 2026, at around 2:35–2:44 a.m. Eastern Time (06:35–06:44 UTC).

The Conversation - The rocket was launched in January 2025.

WHY:

Yahoo - The rocket became stranded in an unstable orbit after delivering its payload and lacked the fuel to deorbit or escape.

HOW:

Yahoo - The rocket was trapped in a chaotic 26-day elliptical orbit around Earth, influenced by gravitational pulls from Earth, the Moon, and the Sun, as well as solar radiation pressure.

(UPDATED July 28, 2026 01:32 UTC)

A five-story piece of a spent Falcon 9 upper stage rocket, launched by SpaceX in January 2025, is on a trajectory to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026, at around 2:35 to 2:44 a.m. Eastern Time. Independent astronomer Bill Gray is tracking the rocket's path, and the impact is expected to occur near the Einstein crater, excavating a crater roughly 20 to 30 meters across while ejecting lunar dust several kilometers into the air. Fortunately, this crash poses no danger to Earth or any ongoing lunar operations, as the rocket became stranded in an unstable orbit after delivering its payload and lacks the fuel to deorbit.