A discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is on a high-speed collision course with the Moon and is expected to impact on Aug. 5 [1].
The event highlights the growing issue of orbital debris and the long-term trajectory of hardware left behind during lunar missions. As commercial spaceflight increases, the likelihood of uncontrolled re-entries and impacts on celestial bodies rises.
The rocket stage was left in a high-energy orbit after it launched a pair of lunar landers [2]. Orbital decay has since pulled the hardware toward the lunar surface. The impact is expected to occur near the Eisenhower Crater [3].
According to available data, the upper stage has a mass of 4,500 kg [4]. It is traveling at a speed of 5,400 miles per hour [5]. The resulting collision is estimated to release energy equivalent to three tonnes of TNT [6].
Scientists expect the impact to leave a physical mark on the lunar landscape. The collision is projected to create a crater approximately 16 feet deep [7].
SpaceX did not provide a statement regarding the trajectory of the discarded stage. The hardware remains an unguided piece of debris following its primary mission objectives. Monitoring continues as the object approaches the lunar surface for the expected Aug. 5 strike [1].
“The collision is projected to create a crater approximately 16 feet deep.”
This incident underscores the challenge of 'space junk' beyond Earth's orbit. While the impact of a single rocket stage is unlikely to cause significant lunar environmental damage, it establishes a precedent for the accumulation of man-made debris on the Moon. As more private companies target the lunar surface for permanent bases or resource extraction, the lack of standardized disposal protocols for upper stages could lead to increased contamination of pristine lunar sites.
