Danuri Captures SpaceX Moon Impact, Sparking Debris Responsibility Debate
South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter photographed the Moon before and after a defunct SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage slammed into the lunar surface at about 5,400 mph, leaving a fresh dark scar near Einstein crater. Danuri’s eight imaging sessions provide data on impact dynamics and ejecta, with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter likely to image the site again. The event raises questions about who is responsible for deep-space debris and the lack of end-of-life disposal standards beyond Earth orbit.
