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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage crashes into Moon, creating 60-foot crater
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The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, launched in January 2025, crashed into the Moon on August 5, 2026, at approximately 5,400 mph, creating a 60-foot-wide crater near the Einstein and Bell craters. NASA confirmed the crash, caused by solar activity and gravitational forces, poses no danger to Earth. The rocket was part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, carrying Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost 1 lander, which successfully landed. Coinciding with the crash, SpaceX held its first earnings call since going public in June 2026, reporting Q2 revenue of $7.81 billion (up 92% YoY) and an EPS loss of 9 cents, beating estimates. CEO Elon Musk shared a simulation of the impact on X. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that a permanent lunar presence requires SpaceX, while Musk reiterated plans to reach Mars in 5-7 years.
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Author: Badar Shaikh Read time: 5 min
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. may have achieved one of CEO Elon Musk's long-standing goals of reaching the lunar surface — but not in the way the commercial spaceflight giant would have envisioned. A SpaceX rocket crashed into the moon on Wednesday.
Falcon 9 Launched in January 2025 Causes 60-Foot Crater
The upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket, launched in January 2025, crashed into the moon at approximately 5,400 mph after more than a year of drifting through space. The impact left an approximately 60-foot-wide crater on the lunar surface near the Einstein and Bell craters, according to a statement by NASA.
"Solar activity and gravitational forces caused the stage's unplanned return to the Moon," the agency said.
The Falcon 9 rocket was carrying a lunar lander as part of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. The lunar lander — Firefly Aerospace Inc.'s Blue Ghost 1 — successfully landed on the moon.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment.
Musk, in a post on X on Wednesday, shared a video simulation of the moment the Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage crashed into the moon. Debris can be seen flying several hundred feet into the air at the moment of impact. NASA confirmed the crash poses no danger to Earth.
pic.twitter.com/eMjhOtsNVM — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 6, 2026
SpaceX's Earnings
Coinciding with the crash landing, SpaceX also held its first-ever earnings call since going public in June 2026. The company reported second-quarter revenue of $7.81 billion, up 92% year-over-year and above analysts' estimates of $6.93 billion.
SpaceX also reported an EPS loss of 9 cents per share, beating market estimates of a 23-cent loss. The company said it expects to reach an annual revenue of $1 trillion by the end of the decade. Musk hailed the earnings as a warning for short-sellers.
NASA's Artemis Program
SpaceX remains a crucial part of NASA's plans to reach the Moon through its Artemis Program. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency cannot establish a permanent presence on the lunar surface without SpaceX. Meanwhile, Musk said the company will aim to reach the surface of Mars within the next 5–7 years.
Photo courtesy: Samuel Boivin / Shutterstock.com
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Discarded SpaceX Rocket Stage on Collision Course with Moon