A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage unintentionally struck the Moon in March 2025, leaving a visible impact scar near the Einstein Crater [1, 2].
The event highlights the risks of orbital debris and the challenges of managing spent rocket stages during lunar missions. Because the impact occurred on the Moon's far side, the resulting scar serves as a permanent marker of a trajectory deviation that NASA had previously predicted [2, 3].
The upper stage was part of a mission that launched in January 2025 to deliver a pair of lunar landers [2]. Following the successful deployment of the landers, the stage's trajectory deviated from its intended path. This error led to the collision on a Wednesday in mid-March 2025 [1, 2].
Reports said the upper stage had a mass of four tonnes [1]. It struck the lunar surface at a speed of approximately 5,400 mph [2]. The impact occurred specifically near the Einstein Crater, a region located on the far side of the Moon [1, 2].
While the collision was unintentional, the scale of the object and its velocity ensured the impact was significant enough to be observed. The trajectory deviation shifted the stage from a stable orbit or disposal path into a direct collision course with the lunar surface [2, 3].
“A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage unintentionally struck the Moon”
This incident underscores the growing concern over 'space junk' and the precision required for lunar transit. As commercial entities like SpaceX increase the frequency of lunar missions, the potential for accidental impacts grows, necessitating stricter international protocols for the disposal of spent rocket stages to protect the lunar environment.
