The first images of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impact on the moon’s surface have emerged.
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared the first photographs captured by its lunar orbiter. South Korea is one of the few nations that currently has satellites traveling around the moon at an altitude of 62 miles (100 kilometers) above the surface. The Danuri orbiter flew over the region shortly after the impact.
KARI explained on its X account that it photographed the collision site both before and after the event. The images show signs of a recent impact, which astronomers projected would likely create a crater dozens of feet wide nearly 12 feet (3.6 meters) deep.
This evidence of the collision adds to observations from the Very Large Telescope, where astronomers detected sodium and lithium rising from the lunar surface, confirming that the rocket fragment did indeed strike the moon.
The crater is larger than several cars combined.
Photograph: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
Astronomers predicted when and where the Falcon 9 impact would happen well in advance, and there were signs it could be visible with sufficiently powerful equipment. Yet days before the collision, space agencies such as NASA warned that it would be difficult to observe the moment of impact due to weather conditions and timing.
Like KARI, NASA has lunar orbiters. It’s possible that in the coming days, following a series of data checks, higher-resolution images of the impact area will become available.
But even at higher resolution, getting a granular view of the crater is unlikely. In fact, the new photos give a sense of just how small that is compared to the vastness of the lunar surface. To put this into perspective, the moon measures about 2,160 miles in diameter.
Another image taken by the Danuri lunar satellite during one of its orbits over the impact area.
Photograph: Korea Aerospace Research Institute
Why Did the Rocket Crash?
The Falcon 9 fragment made a crash landing after being in an unstable orbit for more than a year. The rocket launched in January 2025, completing its mission to deliver lunar landers. For more than a year, the gravity of Earth, the moon, and the sun slowly altered its orbital trajectory until it eventually impacted the lunar surface.
“For most of our missions, we plan for a controlled deorbiting of the Falcon second stage so that it re-enters safely over the ocean,” SpaceX said of the rocket. “In higher-energy missions, such as those heading to a lunar transfer orbit, nearly all of the vehicle’s performance is dedicated to successfully placing the payload into the intended orbit, and a controlled deorbiting maneuver is not always possible.
“We are actively working to be as responsible as possible with the hardware left in space and to ensure space safety, even on more complex missions. In this case, over time, solar activity and gravity deflected the second stage toward the Moon. Impacts like this are rare, but they can occur with objects in these types of orbits, and we are collaborating with NASA to find the optimal disposal solution,” it added.
This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
