SpaceX upper stage to crash into the Moon on August 5, offering a rare viewing window

A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage from the January 15, 2025 mission is on a highly elliptical Earth orbit and is expected to impact the Moon near Einstein Crater on August 5 at about 2:44 a.m. ET. The impact, traveling faster than 5,400 mph (8,700 km/h), is predicted to create a 66–98 ft (20–30 m) crater and ejecta plumes visible from Earth with ground- and space-based telescopes. Observers will need darkness and a favorable Moon angle, with South America and parts of North America offering the best chances; Hawaii and Alaska are less favorable. The event could yield data on lunar dust/plume dynamics and debris hazards, and help test methods for pinpointing impact sites for future seismic experiments. The mission’s other landers and orbital assets may or may not observe the event, and some instruments (like NASA’s LRO UV sensors) won’t be in position to study the gases.)