NASA to Track Falcon 9 Stage's Aug. 5 Moon Impact, Expected to Blast 60-Foot Crater
Updated
Updated · NASA · Aug 4
NASA to Track Falcon 9 Stage's Aug. 5 Moon Impact, Expected to Blast 60-Foot Crater
3 articles · Updated · NASA · Aug 4
Summary
Aug. 5 is when NASA plans to observe a used Falcon 9 upper stage striking the Moon near the Einstein and Bell craters, an event the agency says poses no danger to Earth.
A 100% impact probability was confirmed by NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies after solar activity and gravitational forces sent the stage—launched Jan. 15, 2025 with Firefly's Blue Ghost 1—back on an unplanned lunar return.
Ground telescopes, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea's ShadowCam will try to capture the impact and before-and-after views, though weather, lighting and orbital timing could delay usable imagery for days.
The strike is expected to carve a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep; NASA will use the ejecta data to study lunar geology and improve tracking of artificial objects in space.
Human-made lunar impacts are uncommon, but NASA said controlled disposal on the Moon is an accepted end-of-life option for some missions in low lunar orbit.