New Images Reveal Moon Crater Created by Spacex Rocket Crash

WHO:

USA Today - The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) shared images of the moon crater.

USA Today - Independent astronomer Bill Gray calculated and predicted the impact of the rocket stage.

USA Today - NASA is attempting to locate and observe the crash site with its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.

WHAT:

USA Today - A piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashed into the moon's surface on August 5.

USA Today - The upper-stage of the Falcon 9 rocket weighed 8,800 pounds and was traveling at about 5,400 mph at the time of the crash.

USA Today - The collision created a crater approximately 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep.

Wired - Images show a gash on the moon's surface left by the rocket crash.

WHERE:

USA Today - The crash occurred near a feature known as the Einstein crater on the moon.

WHEN:

USA Today - The Falcon 9 upper-stage was used in a mission that launched in January 2025.

USA Today - The crash was confirmed to have occurred on August 5.

WHY:

USA Today - The upper-stage was left in an uncontrolled orbit after a 2025 mission due to exhausting all of its fuel.

USA Today - SpaceX stated that impacts like this are rare but can happen with objects in such orbits.

HOW:

USA Today - The object was pulled uncontrollably toward the moon by a combination of solar activity and gravitational forces.

USA Today - KARI's lunar orbiter, Danuri, began observations about 30 minutes before the crash and continued monitoring afterward, making a total of 8 imaging sessions.

(UPDATED August 8, 2026 14:31 UTC)

A piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, weighing 8,800 pounds and traveling at about 5,400 mph, crashed into the moon's surface near the Einstein crater, creating a crater approximately 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared images of the impact, while NASA is working to locate and observe the crash site with its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This upper-stage was left in an uncontrolled orbit after a mission in January 2025, and the collision was confirmed to have occurred on August 5.