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NASA identifies 222-meter McGetchin crater from 2024 impact

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 6:12 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Robert Wagner Discovers Crater

NASA researcher Robert Wagner discovered a new lunar crater named McGetchin.
The crater measures 222 meters (730 feet) across.
Scientists say a building-sized comet or asteroid struck the Moon in spring 2024, forming the crater.
NASA estimates impacts of this magnitude occur on the Moon about once per century or longer.
Researchers hope studying McGetchin will aid lunar geology knowledge for upcoming United States (U.S.) and Chinese crewed missions.

Summary

NASA Models Debris

NASA will model how ejected debris could threaten the Artemis lunar base site.
Researchers estimate the moon’s top inch of soil overturns every 80,000 years.
Robinson says Apollo footprints will disappear within that 80,000-year turnover period.
A 4-mile-wide cold spot surrounds the crater, indicating extensive regolith loosening.
LRO’s wide-angle images were flagged in August 2025, months after the May 2024 impact.

History

Historical Context

The 1969 Apollo 11 mission, led by NASA and astronaut Neil Armstrong, achieved the first human Moon landing, proving lunar surface exploration feasible. NASA’s Apollo program deployed six missions, collecting 21 kilograms of lunar samples and mapping 2 percent of the Moon’s surface by 1972. Today, NASA researcher Robert Wagner’s discovery of the 222-meter McGetchin crater and LRO’s debris-impact modeling echo Apollo’s legacy for Artemis and China’s CNSA missions. Understanding such impacts will guide Artemis base safety, preserve Apollo footprints for centuries, and inform international lunar settlement strategies.

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Robert Wagner Discovers Crater

NASA researcher Robert Wagner discovered a new lunar crater named McGetchin.
The crater measures 222 meters (730 feet) across.
Scientists say a building-sized comet or asteroid struck the Moon in spring 2024, forming the crater.
NASA estimates impacts of this magnitude occur on the Moon about once per century or longer.
Researchers hope studying McGetchin will aid lunar geology knowledge for upcoming United States (U.S.) and Chinese crewed missions.

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