SpaceX Rocket Debris Hits Moon: South Korea Releases Images of Impact

The Korean Aerospace Administration (KASA) released photographs that show the lunar surface before and after a fragment of a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage smashed into the Moon on 6 August. The debris, expected to hit the far side at roughly 5,400 mph (8,700 km/h), left a faint scar that is now captured by KASA’s Danubri orbiter.

The upper stage of the Falcon 9 engine assembly—a vehicle the size of a five‑storey building and weighing about 4,000 kg—was launched from Florida in January 2025 with the aim of sending two lunar landers into orbit. After completing its primary mission, the spent stage drifted into an Earth‑Moon‑Sun orbit that gradually steered it toward the Moon, culminating in the collision seen in the images.

SpaceX has confirmed that the impact was accidental, and KASA’s data shows no danger to Earth. Still, the incident raises concerns about the growing density of space debris, with astronomers warning that future collisions could become more common as launch traffic increases.

The images leave scientists with a new data point for studying the Moon’s surface under high‑velocity impacts and illustrate how reusable rockets can leave unintended footprints beyond Earth.