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SpaceX Falcon 9 Upper Stage to Hit Moon, Create 30-m Crater

8/4/2026

Summary

Falcon 9 Moon Impact

The Falcon 9 upper stage will strike the Moon on August 5, 2026 at 2:35 a.m. ET.
The 45-foot, 8,800-pound stage, traveling about 5,400 mph, will impact near Einstein Crater on the sunlit near side.
Astronomer Bill Gray, using Project Pluto, predicted the impact and its exact timing.
Researchers expect a three-ton-TNT blast that will create a 20–30 m wide, 5 m deep crater and produce a dust plume visible for minutes with large telescopes.

Summary

SpaceX Lunar Impact

SpaceX is working with NASA to develop safer disposal paths for high-energy upper stages in the Sun-Earth-Moon system.
NASA’s Near-Earth Object Center confirmed the stage’s trajectory, stating it poses no danger to Earth.
Scientists warn that unintentional lunar impacts could endanger future Artemis bases and astronauts near the south pole.
South Korea’s Danuri and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will photograph the impact site before and after the collision.

History

Historical Context

In 1998, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory deliberately crashed the Lunar Prospector spacecraft into the Moon’s south pole, demonstrating a controlled impact technique. The 1-ton probe struck at roughly 2.5 km/s, releasing 1.5 tons of xenon propellant and confirming ejecta patterns observable from Earth-based telescopes. SpaceX’s 8,800-pound Falcon 9 upper stage, slated for a 2026 impact near Einstein Crater, mirrors that precedent as NASA, Danuri and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter prepare observations. These deliberate collisions inform debris-mitigation policies, guiding Artemis base safety protocols and shaping future international agreements on lunar surface usage.

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Falcon 9 Moon Impact

The Falcon 9 upper stage will strike the Moon on August 5, 2026 at 2:35 a.m. ET.
The 45-foot, 8,800-pound stage, traveling about 5,400 mph, will impact near Einstein Crater on the sunlit near side.
Astronomer Bill Gray, using Project Pluto, predicted the impact and its exact timing.
Researchers expect a three-ton-TNT blast that will create a 20–30 m wide, 5 m deep crater and produce a dust plume visible for minutes with large telescopes.

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