A four-tonne upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is believed to have unintentionally crashed into the Moon, according to AFP. While officials have not yet confirmed the impact, the rocket stage was expected to strike the lunar surface at around 0635 GMT near the Moon's Einstein Crater.
The report said the Falcon 9 launched in January 2025 carrying two lunar landers. Although the booster returned to Earth, the upper stage remained in space. According to SpaceX, solar activity and gravitational forces gradually altered its trajectory toward the Moon despite post-mission safety procedures.
Scientists hope the impact will provide valuable data on lunar debris, crater formation and the effects of artificial space junk, helping future lunar exploration and space debris research.
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A school-bus-sized piece of a SpaceX rocket that has been drifting through space since last year is expected to crash into the moon at high speed, potentially creating a plume of lunar dust at Einstein Crater https://t.co/9x9fIni5YG pic.twitter.com/iUrwQZdeiE
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 5, 2026
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