SpaceX debris set to crash into the Moon, a data-rich lunar encounter

SpaceX’s spent Falcon 9 upper stage, about the size of a five‑storey building and weighing roughly 4,000 kg, is expected to collide with the Moon (likely near Einstein crater). The event probably won’t be visible to the naked eye, but telescopes in the Americas and NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter may capture a brief flash and a new crater. NASA says there is no danger to Earth, and scientists plan to study the impact and the debris to learn more about the Moon’s history, with before/after imagery and data released in the coming days, while the Moon now hosts around 3,000 human-made objects totaling about 190 tonnes.