Discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage to impact Moon on August 5, 2026

Published Aug 4, 05:07 PM UTC

On August 5, 2026, a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage from the January 2025 launch of Firefly's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience missions will collide with the Moon. The 8,800-pound, 45-foot-long rocket stage, with no propellant left for disposal, has been drifting in cislunar space for 19 months. It will strike at 5,400 mph, releasing energy equivalent to three tons of TNT and creating a crater 20-30 meters wide. The uncontrolled impact offers a rare scientific opportunity to study lunar geology and impact physics, as multiple orbiters like South Korea's Danuri and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter are expected to observe. The event also highlights the growing problem of cislunar debris as lunar missions increase.