SpaceX Rocket Debris Crashes Into Moon at 9,000 km/h, Creating 30-Meter Crater

It has been reported that a piece of space debris from a SpaceX rocket that had been drifting through space has collided with the lunar surface.

The U.S. business magazine Forbes reported that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket crashed near the Einstein crater on the far side of the Moon at a speed of 5,400 miles per hour, or approximately 8,690 km/h, on the 5th local time.

This rocket served as the propulsion stage for the private lunar lander Blue Ghost Mission 1 and Resilience, which was launched on January 15 of last year for a lunar exploration mission, and had been wandering in space after completing its mission.

Tracking was subsequently initiated after observations were raised that the leftover debris could strike the lunar surface, and astronomers had closely monitored the situation leading up to the crash that day.

A research team at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico estimated that the impact likely carved out a new crater measuring up to about 30 meters wide on the lunar surface.

With the addition of the Falcon 9 debris, which weighs a total of 4 tons, the amount of artificial debris accumulated on the Moon has further increased.

As lunar exploration has been underway since the 1960s, it is estimated that space debris left on the lunar surface alone amounts to 209 tons to date.

Most of this debris is reportedly comprised of lunar landers left behind during the Apollo missions and crashed probes from various space agencies.

Forbes explained that the space debris problem is becoming increasingly serious as NASA recently attempts to build a lunar base, while China and private companies also pursue lunar exploration.

In particular, experts pointed out that as the frequency of lunar missions increases, undetected debris could impact satellites, future bases, and historical sites such as the Apollo landing sites, highlighting the need for international agreements regarding the disposal of space equipment.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Lee Yu-jin | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.