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NASA Images 60-Foot Moon Crater After SpaceX Falcon 9 Crash

8/19/2026

Summary

SpaceX Moon Crash

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 stage crashed into the Moon on 5 August 2026.
The stage struck at 5,400 mph after drifting 19 months since its 15 January 2025 launch.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the impact on 11-12 August 2026, finding a crater about 60 feet wide and under 10 feet deep with dark rays.
SpaceX said solar activity and gravity guided the stage and that it seeks handling, while experts say the crash highlights the need for lunar disposal guidelines.

Summary

SpaceX Splashdown

Ship 40 achieved its first intact ocean splashdown on July 24 2026 after launching from Starbase, Texas.
After about 24 days at sea, SpaceX recovery crews moved the 171-foot stage to waters off Christmas Island.
SpaceX submitted “Project Ignition,” proposing a 101-acre stand near Kennedy Space Center that would affect 55 acres of wetlands beside the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, causing habitat and noise concerns and needing St. Johns River Water Management District approval.

History

Historical Context

After Apollo 17 left its ascent stage on the Moon in December 1972—one of six landings that put twelve astronauts on the surface—NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the impact site starting in 2009. The debris legacy now shapes disposal rules as the Artemis program prepares for its crewed Artemis II flight in 2026.

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SpaceX Moon Crash

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 stage crashed into the Moon on 5 August 2026.
The stage struck at 5,400 mph after drifting 19 months since its 15 January 2025 launch.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the impact on 11-12 August 2026, finding a crater about 60 feet wide and under 10 feet deep with dark rays.
SpaceX said solar activity and gravity guided the stage and that it seeks handling, while experts say the crash highlights the need for lunar disposal guidelines.

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