SpaceX rocket impact on the Moon to be observed in August

On August 4, 2026, NASA confirmed that the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will collide with the Moon. The impact is scheduled for August 5, around 02:35 EDT (06:35 GMT), and is expected to create a crater over 17 meters in diameter.

Details of the planned collision

The object will travel at roughly 2.43 kilometers per second, which corresponds to about 5,400 miles per hour. NASA, through the Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), reached this conclusion after independent astronomers analyzed public data and identified the trajectory that would bring the stage to Earth's natural satellite. "There is no danger to Earth," spokesperson Jimi Russell said.

Upper stage characteristics

It is the upper section of a Falcon 9 rocket, designed to be discarded after completing its mission. The component has dimensions comparable to a five-story building and weighs, on Earth, at least four thousand kilograms. While part of the Falcon 9 is reusable and returns to Earth, the sections that are abandoned remain in orbit until they collide with another celestial body.

Impact location and crater estimate

The impact point will be near Einstein Crater, in the lunar region that receives sunlight and can be observed from Earth. Astronomer Bill Gray, who detected the trajectory, estimates that the impact will create a crater more than 17 meters in diameter.

Observation and scientific potential

The event should attract both amateur and professional astronomers. Dr. Matt Bothwell, a public astronomer at the University of Cambridge, described the scene as "something truly huge colliding with the Moon" and predicted that the explosion will send a dust cloud over 50 kilometers high. Advanced telescopes in the Americas, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, and South Korea's Danuri probe will monitor the flash, the debris cloud, and the new crater. A citizen science project is also recruiting amateurs to record the impact.

Debate on space debris

Bothwell emphasized that the incident illustrates the growing problem of artificial debris in space. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), there are about 54,000 objects larger than 10 centimeters orbiting, totaling roughly 17,000 tonnes launched since 1957. The last inert rocket to hit the Moon was in 2022, when the upper stage of China's Long March 3C rocket from the Chang'e 5-T1 mission collided with the far side of the satellite.

With information from BBC News.