Defunct SpaceX rocket set to crash into Moon in accidental impact

A defunct SpaceX rocket stage is expected to collide accidentally with the Moon on Wednesday (29 July) after drifting through space for more than a year following the launch of two lunar landers, reports The Guardian.

Scientists estimate the upper stage will strike the Moon at around 8,700 kilometres per hour, creating a crater and sending a plume of dust and debris into space. Researchers hope the impact will provide valuable insights into lunar geology and the effects of space debris.

According to The Guardian, space tracking expert Bill Gray predicts the rocket will hit near Einstein Crater on the Moon's sunlit western limb. Although the impact flash is expected to be too faint to see from Earth, the ejected material could remain visible through telescopes for several minutes, allowing both professional astronomers and amateur skywatchers to observe the event.

Experts said the collision was unintentional and could likely have been avoided had the rocket stage been redirected into an orbit around the Sun after completing its mission.

The incident will mark only the second known accidental rocket crash on the Moon. In 2022, a discarded Chinese rocket stage struck the lunar far side, leaving two overlapping craters.

Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory said observations of the impact could improve scientists' understanding of the risks posed by space debris to future lunar missions and astronauts.

Researchers expect the collision to create a crater measuring about 27 metres wide and five metres deep. While it will be too small to see from Earth, orbiting spacecraft, including NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter, are expected to capture before-and-after images of the impact site.