The wreck of a second stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket hit the lunar surface at 2:35 a.m. EST on August 5. Researchers estimate that the wreck weighs about 4 tons, and the impact speed is about 2.4 kilometers per second. The predicted landing point is near the Einstein crater. The wreckage of this rocket comes from a commercial lunar exploration launch mission in January 2025. According to the study, the energy released by this impact is equivalent to the explosion of several tons of TNT explosives, which will form a new impact crater with a diameter of tens of meters on the surface of the moon. Estimates range from 17 meters to 40 meters, and the actual size still needs to be confirmed later. The impact occurred on the surface of the moon exposed to sunlight, and the bright lunar background may mask the weak flash generated by the impact. Researchers previously estimated that the flash may last less than a second, and the general public cannot see it directly with the naked eye.

The wreck of a second stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket hit the lunar surface at 2:35 a.m. EST on August 5. Researchers estimate that the wreck weighs about 4 tons, and the impact speed is about 2.4 kilometers per second. The predicted landing point is near the Einstein crater. The wreckage of this rocket comes from a commercial lunar exploration launch mission in January 2025. According to the study, the energy released by this impact is equivalent to the explosion of several tons of TNT explosives, which will form a new impact crater with a diameter of tens of meters on the surface of the moon. Estimates range from 17 meters to 40 meters, and the actual size still needs to be confirmed later. The impact occurred on the surface of the moon exposed to sunlight, and the bright lunar background may mask the weak flash generated by the impact. Researchers previously estimated that the flash may last less than a second, and the general public cannot see it directly with the naked eye.