Abandoned Spacex Rocket Set for Moon Collision, Visible From Earth

WHO:

abc7.com - Bill Gray, a space tracking expert, predicts the impact of the SpaceX rocket.

abc7.com - Benjamin Fernando from Los Alamos National Laboratory is involved in observing the impact.

abc7.com - NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter will gather data on the impact.

WHAT:

abc7.com - A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon.

abc7.com - The rocket's upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon, creating a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble.

abc7.com - The impact is predicted to occur at a speed of 5,400 mph, which is seven times the speed of sound.

abc7.com - The impact will create a crater nearly 90 feet across and 16 feet deep.

abc7.com - The abandoned rocket segment measures approximately 40 feet and weighs around 10,000 pounds.

abc7.com - The impact will pack the equivalent energy of three tons of TNT.

WHERE:

abc7.com - The impact will occur near Einstein Crater on the moon's sunlit western limb.

abc7.com - Observers in the eastern portions of the U.S., Canada, and much of South America will have the best views of the event.

abc7.com - The impact will be observed from New Brunswick, Canada.

WHEN:

abc7.com - The impact is scheduled to occur on Wednesday.

WHY:

abc7.com - The crash could have been avoided if the upper stage had been nudged into orbit around the sun.

abc7.com - Scientists are interested in this event to understand the hazards debris impacts pose to future astronauts.

HOW:

abc7.com - The impact will kick up a plume of debris that could be visible through telescopes.

abc7.com - NASA previously crashed rocket sections and lunar modules into the moon during the Apollo era for seismic measurements.

(UPDATED August 1, 2026 19:22 UTC)

A discarded SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon, and experts predict it will unintentionally slam into the lunar surface near Einstein Crater on Wednesday, creating a crater nearly 90 feet across and 16 feet deep. The impact, which is expected to occur at a staggering speed of 5,400 miles per hour, will generate a plume of dust and rubble, packing the energy equivalent of three tons of TNT, and will be observed by scientists including Bill Gray and Benjamin Fernando. Observers in the eastern portions of the U.S., Canada, and much of South America will have the best views of this significant event, as NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter gather valuable data on the impact.