Source
NASA’s LRO Images Falcon 9 Crater on Moon, Learns New Details
A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage struck the Moon on Aug. 5, 2026, creating a crater later imaged by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Why it matters
NASA used this event to test and validate tools for predicting impacts, which helps protect Earth from natural hazards via its Planetary Defense program.
The details
- The crater measures 60 feet wide and is less than 10 feet deep.
- Images show fresh underground material and weathered surface dust excavated from below.
- NASA collaborated with independent astronomers and the Republic of Korea's Danuri team.
Show entities and relationshipsHide entities and relationships
In this article
Key connections
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter uses Narrow-Angle Camera
LRO used its Narrow-Angle Camera to image the Falcon 9 impact crater.
Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) uses LUTI camera
Danuri used its high-resolution LUTI camera to image the impact crater.
Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri) is related to South Korea
Danuri is operated by South Korea's mission team.
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is a partner of Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (Danuri)
The LRO and Danuri teams exchanged impact-site coordinates to refine their respective imaging.
Center for Near-Earth Object Studies is a member of NASA
The center is part of NASA.
Center for Near-Earth Object Studies is related to Falcon 9
The center calculated the predicted impact location of the Falcon 9 upper stage before it struck the Moon.
Related events
NASA's LRO Images Falcon 9 Impact Crater on the Moon
Get the weekly recap
The stories like this one, picked and explained — once a week, straight to your inbox.