SpaceX Falcon 9 Debris Impacts Moon, Creating a 60-Foot Crater

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage from the Jan 2025 Blue Ghost mission appears to have crashed into the Moon around Aug 5–6, 2026, likely forming a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep at speeds near 5,400 mph. A plume of sodium and lithium detected by the VLT in Chile suggests the impact occurred, though observers faced daylight challenges. Lunar orbiters (NASA’s LRO and Korea’s K-PLO) are attempting to image the site, weather permitting, which could take days. SpaceX notes that for high-energy lunar missions, disposal of upper stages may not allow a controlled return to Earth, while NASA says such lunar surface disposal can be a technically accepted method when necessary.