Moon Impact Images Reveal SpaceX Rocket Crash Aftermath

Brief By Reuters / 8:13 PM on 06 Aug 2026

Newly released composite images compare the Moon's surface before and after a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage struck near Einstein Crater. The four-tonne object hit at about 8,700 kmph, likely creating a new crater while ejecting a brief plume of lunar dust illuminated by sunlight. SpaceX said the impact was unintentional.