NASA releases images of 60-foot SpaceX rocket crater on Moon

NASA has released detailed images of a fresh crater on the Moon created by the impact of a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage. The collision occurred on August 5, 2026, and the new photographs, captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on August 11 and 12, provide the clearest view yet of the aftermath.

The roughly 4-ton upper stage, which had been drifting in space for more than a year, struck the lunar surface at approximately 5,400 mph. The impact site is located near Einstein Crater on the Moon's Earth-facing side. According to NASA, the resulting crater measures about 60 feet (18 meters) across and is less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep. The images reveal distinct bright and dark streaks radiating from the crater. NASA explained that the darker streaks consist of weathered surface dust and rocks excavated from about 1.5 feet below the surface, material altered over time by solar wind and cosmic rays. The brighter streaks near the rim are fresh material blasted from deeper underground.

The rocket stage was launched in January 2025 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying two private lunar landers: Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience. While Blue...