A stray piece of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has crashed into the Moon after hurtling through space at a speed of around 5,400mph.
Impact details
The upper stage of the rocket, launched in January 2025, is expected to have created a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep, according to NASA. The impact occurred near the Einstein and Bell craters.
The rocket stage travelled towards the Moon due to "solar activity and gravitational forces," the space agency's website explained.
Monitoring and safety
The crash was not visible to the naked eye, but NASA attempted to monitor the event in real time. Spokesperson Jimi Russell said "there is no danger to Earth".
The SpaceX rocket carried two lunar landers and scientific instruments to the Moon in January 2025. It was not intended to crash into the surface, but SpaceX was unable to prevent the impact.
