NASA images reveal SpaceX rocket stage created rare double crater on Moon

Published Aug 21, 07:29 PM UTC

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured new before-and-after images revealing a double crater on the Moon caused by the impact of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage. The rocket booster, part of a 2022 mission to launch a NOAA satellite, had been drifting in space before crashing into the lunar surface in March 2022. The images show a crater approximately 10 meters wide, with an unusual double structure, suggesting the rocket had significant mass at both ends. This is the first known unintentional human-made object to crash into the Moon. The impact provides scientists with new data about lunar geology and the effects of impacts on the Moon's surface.