NASA chief downplays SpaceX rocket crash into Moon: 'Not a big deal'

SpaceX Rocket Crashes Into Moon; Trump Administration Dismissive

A stray SpaceX rocket stage crashed into the moon Wednesday morning, reportedly striking with the force of three tons of TNT. The impact kicked up a large dust cloud and left a new crater on the lunar surface, according to The Independent. Images of the collision may take days to emerge from ground telescopes and lunar-orbiting satellites.

The rocket was part of a Falcon 9 spacecraft that had carried a lunar lander to the moon last January.

When questioned about the incident on Fox News, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman downplayed the event, noting that SpaceX has successfully recovered 600 of its rockets in other cases. He dismissed concerns about space debris.

"It's very infrequent to have things like the Falcon 9 second stage crash into the moon," Isaacman said. "It's not a big deal right now, the moon has clearly seen better days."

Isaacman pivoted to discussing future plans, stating that once reusable rockets are ready, they would land on the moon to help "contribute to the city block you're trying to build on the surface."

Isaacman has a close business relationship with Elon Musk, having financed past SpaceX missions. He supports Musk and President Trump's ambitions to build a lunar base. Critics note that acknowledging major problems with spacecraft crashing into the moon could undermine his own position or reflect poorly on Musk.

Space debris is a growing concern as rocket launches increase, and could become a serious issue if critical satellites are damaged. If more SpaceX rockets veer out of control, Musk's moon base plans could face significant obstacles.

Trump Files Emergency Motion to Block BBC from Accessing Financial Records

President Trump on Wednesday filed an emergency motion to prevent the British Broadcasting Corporation from obtaining broad access to intimate details about his finances.

The emergency stay is the latest development in Trump's $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC, triggered by a 2024 episode of Panorama titled "Trump, a Second Chance." The lawsuit appears to be backfiring. Last month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Lett allowed the BBC to proceed with accessing financial information from at least 400 business entities owned by Trump's family trust. Lett set a Thursday deadline for the BBC to obtain the records.

Trump is now scrambling to contain the fallout.

"The BBC's motive could not be more transparent—to wrongly exploit this litigation for its own political benefit, as well as the benefit of President Trump's other political opponents," the filing read. "The moment those records reach the BBC, the injury is complete and irreversible." His lawyers also accused the BBC of having "clearly political motivations."

Trump's legal team is asking Lett to allow the president to revise the language of the lawsuit so that his lucrative business dealings while in office are not subject to public scrutiny.

The BBC has not yet responded.

Observers suggest Trump may have taken on more than he can handle. If his request to change the discovery parameters is denied, he may drop the lawsuit entirely.

Acting Attorney General Warns U.S. Attorneys in Press Conference

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche delivered a chilling message to U.S. attorneys across the country during a press conference Wednesday.

A reporter asked Blanche whether he stood by D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's decision to drop four vandalism cases related to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and what message it would send if President Trump fired Pirro for determining there was insufficient evidence to charge those individuals.

Blanche responded: "Hypothetically, if the president chose to fire a United States attorney, it turns out he's allowed to..."