The remaining upper stage of a SpaceX rocket launched in January 2025 is on a collision course with the Moon. Experts predict that the collision will occur on August 5, which would mark the second known incident of a used rocket accidentally landing on the moon.
According to Bill Gray, a space object tracking expert who spoke to The Associated Press, the roughly 4.5-ton object will hit the moon at about 8,700 km/h (5,500 mph), which is seven times faster than the speed of sound. The impact will take place near Einstein Crater on the sunlit side of the Moon and will have an energy comparable to three tons of TNT.
Scientists are hoping for a rare opportunity to study the effects of the collision, particularly how such collisions affect the lunar surface and what risks they might pose to future astronauts and permanent bases. The impact is predicted to create a crater approximately 27 meters in diameter and up to five meters deep. Although the flare itself will be too faint to see with the naked eye, the cloud of dust and debris can rise several kilometers and remain visible to telescopes for less than an hour.
Although the current incident is not considered a threat, it has brought renewed attention to the issue of space debris. Experts say that with the increase in the number of lunar missions and the preparation of new lunar missions by the United States and China, it becomes increasingly important to monitor the movement of used rockets and other objects to avoid dangerous collisions in the future.
