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SpaceX rocket to hit the Moon? Date, impact details and why experts are tracking it
A drifting SpaceX rocket stage will crash into the Moon, creating a significant crater and dust plume.
A drifting SpaceX rocket stage is on course to accidentally collide with the Moon this week, creating a crater and sending a plume of dust and debris across the lunar surface. Scientists and sky watchers are preparing to observe the rare impact event and study what it reveals about space debris.
The rocket’s upper stage, which helped launch two lunar landers more than a year ago, is expected to hit the Moon on Wednesday, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The collision was not intentional, but experts say the event could provide valuable data on how objects behave when they strike the lunar surface.
When and where will the SpaceX rocket hit the Moon?
Space tracking expert Bill Gray has predicted that the rocket stage will crash into the Moon at a speed of around 5,400 mph (8,700 km/h), nearly seven times the speed of sound.
The impact is expected to take place near Einstein Crater on the Moon’s sunlit western limb. Observers in eastern parts of the US and Canada, along with parts of South America, are expected to have the best chance of monitoring the aftermath because of the timing of the event.
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Gray, who plans to watch the impact’s effects from New Brunswick, Canada, said the growing number of objects in space is becoming a concern.
“Things are getting crowded up there,” Gray told AP.
What will happen when the rocket hits the Moon?
Scientists expect the collision to create a crater and launch a cloud of dust and lunar material into space. The impact will release energy equivalent to around three tons of TNT explosives.
However, the actual impact flash is unlikely to be visible from Earth. Experts said the burst of light will last less than a second and will probably be too faint for observers to detect.
The debris plume created by the crash could be more useful for researchers. According to AP, the material could spread several miles into space and remain visible through telescopes for tens of minutes.
Benjamin Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory said the Moon’s environment makes such impacts easier to study.
“Gravity on the moon is low and there is no wind to blow the dust away,” Fernando said.
Why are scientists tracking the SpaceX rocket crash?
Researchers are interested in the collision because it could help them understand the risks posed by space debris for future lunar missions and astronauts. Fernando said studying such impacts could help scientists determine “how much of a hazard debris impacts pose to future astronauts.”
Scientists estimate the crash could create a crater around 90 feet (27 meters) wide and 16 feet (5 meters) deep. While the crater will be too small to see from Earth, spacecraft orbiting the Moon will be able to capture images of the impact site.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter are expected to collect before-and-after images of the crash area.
This will be the second known instance of a human-made rocket fragment accidentally hitting the Moon. In 2022, a Chinese rocket segment crashed into the lunar far side, creating two craters. The upcoming SpaceX rocket impact will occur on the Moon’s near side.
