SpaceX rocket booster on collision course with the moon, expected to leave deep crater

According to the Saudi Gazette, a discarded segment of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is on a collision course with the Moon. The object, identified as the second stage of a rocket launched in January 2025, has been drifting in space for over a year. Weighing approximately four tons, the debris is traveling at speeds exceeding 5,000 miles per hour and is expected to impact the lunar surface, creating a crater estimated to be between 65 and 90 feet in diameter.

While the collision represents a rare instance of man-made debris striking the Moon, researchers at NASA and other scientific institutions have confirmed that the event poses no threat to Earth. The upper stage of the rocket served as a propulsion workhorse for two commercial robotic landers before being left in orbit, eventually succumbing to gravitational forces that pulled it toward the lunar surface.

The scientific community has expressed interest in the impact, as it provides a unique opportunity to study the lunar subsurface. By analyzing the crater created by the high-velocity impact, scientists hope to gain further insights into the composition of the Moon's crust. The event highlights the growing conversation regarding space debris management as commercial and government entities increase their activity in cislunar space.