New Moon, New Crater: NASA Captures SpaceX Debris Impact on the Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured high‑resolution images of SpaceX's Falcon 9 upper stage crashing into the Moon, creating a 60-foot-wide, under-10-foot-deep crater that overlaps an existing one. The event was first identified by Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, with the LRO photos showing ejecta trails. The piece highlights growing lunar debris as private missions increase and notes gaps in governance under the Outer Space Treaty, referencing earlier crashes in 2022 and 2023 as examples of the issue.