SpaceX Falcon 9 Stage Set to Impact Moon on August 5, 2026

An upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is expected to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026, according to astronomers and NASA. The four-ton piece of space debris, launched in January 2025, will strike near the Einstein crater on the lunar near side at a speed of about 2.43 km/s Source: infobae. The impact offers a rare opportunity to study an artificial object's collision with the Moon in real time.

What happens

The Falcon 9 stage, weighing roughly four metric tons, will hit the lunar surface at a velocity of around 2.43 km/s, creating a new crater estimated at 20–30 meters in diameter Source: infobae. Simulations suggest the impact will excavate over a million kilograms of regolith, throwing up a dust plume that may reach altitudes of at least 1.5 kilometers and persist for several minutes Source: infobae. The exact brightness of the flash is uncertain, potentially ranging from visible with simple telescopes to undetectable Source: infobae.

Visibility debate

NASA experts are skeptical that the collision will be observable from Earth. "I think it will be very, very difficult to see, if not impossible," said William Cooke of NASA, as reported by dpa Source: euronewses. However, the impact site is near the lunar limb, and sunlight could illuminate the ejected dust cloud, possibly allowing telescopic observation Source: euronewses. Astronomer Bill Gray, who predicted the event, says the impact poses no danger Source: euronewses.