SpaceX rocket smashes into Moon at 5,400mph ‘creating new crater’
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket part is reportedly the second stray piece of junk to slam into the Moon, unleashing a blast equivalent to three tonnes of TNT
The unintentional collision poses no threat to Earth (file)(Image: Joe Marino/UPI/Shutterstock)
A four-tonne chunk of a SpaceX rocket which has floated in space since last year is believed to have smashed into the Moon at an incredible 5,400mph.
The reported crash – involving a school-bus sized part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 – is thought to have left a 100ft wide crater on the lunar surface.
The rocket was launched from a lunar lander from US company Firefly Aerospace towards the Moon in January 2025, before its top section was shed from its main body.
But the discarded part is reported to have crashed into the lunar surface and is predicted to kick up a miles-long plume of lunar dust.
The rocket was launched in January 2025 (file)(Image: Jennifer Briggs/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
The crash is said to have taken place around 7:35am UK time, but is yet to be confirmed by specialist telescopes.
However the tiny flash produced from the hit would have been far too faint to see from Earth, with even spacecraft orbiting the moon not in the right place to witness the impact live. NASA is now monitoring the crash.
The incident highlights growing concerns over “orbital congestion”, with Space tracking expert Bill Gray – who planned to watch the aftermath from New Brunswick, Canada – saying earlier this week “it’s getting crowded up there [space]”.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches in July 2026(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It’s only the second time a defunct rocket part has accidentally struck the Moon – in 2022 a rogue Chinese rocket carved out a double lunar crater.
Experts claim the crash might have been avoided if the SpaceX rocket had been nudged into the Sun’s orbit instead.
Los Alamos National Laboratory scientist Benjamin Fernando said: “The gravity on the moon is low and there is no wind to blow the dust away.”
He added: “Part of the reason for our interest in this event is to figure out how much of a hazard debris impacts pose to future astronauts.”
Nasa’s spokesperson Jimi Russell said on Tuesday: “The impact poses no danger to Earth and Nasa scientists are planning to collect lunar data from the event and refine techniques for tracking objects in space.”
