Moon Crash Sparks Debris Alarm as SpaceX Upper Stage Leaves Fresh Crater

A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage from a 2025 mission struck the Moon at about 8,700 km/h, punching a new crater and blasting lunar dust into the air. Danuri orbiter images showed a darker patch at the impact site, with scientists estimating a crater roughly 20 meters wide and 5 meters deep. The event wasn’t planned, but it serves as a real-world warning about the growing amount of artificial debris in cislunar space as Moon missions increase.