Mach-7 Moon Crash: Falcon 9 Upper Stage Heads for Einstein Crater
TL;DR
Astronomer Bill Gray predicts SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage, stranded in a highly elliptical Earth orbit since January 2025, will crash into the Moon near the Einstein crater on August 5 at about 5,400 mph (Mach 7). The impact would be a brief event leaving a small crater, poses no danger to Earth, and highlights space-debris disposal as SpaceX focuses on Starship and Artemis IV—potential imaging by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter may capture the crater.
- Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket set for 5,400 mph crash on moon’s Einstein crater: Report Interesting Engineering
- A SpaceX rocket booster is on track to hit the moon at several times the speed of sound Scientific American
- Piece of SpaceX rocket to hit Moon, says astronomy code dev theregister.com
- A used SpaceX rocket is on a collision course with the moon, report warns Live Science
- An Out of Control SpaceX Rocket Is Going to Smash Into Moon, Astronomer Says Futurism
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