Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon
Summary
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took clear before-and-after pictures of a new crater on the moon made by a SpaceX Falcon rocket that crashed at high speed. The crater is about 60 feet wide and less than 10 feet deep, showing dark and bright patterns from material thrown out by the impact.Key Facts
- A SpaceX Falcon rocket’s upper stage hit the moon on August 5, 2026, traveling 5,400 mph.
- The rocket had launched two private moon landers with experiments and a small rover in 2025.
- NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images showing the impact site from 60 miles above the moon.
- The crater is estimated to be 60 feet (18 meters) across and under 10 feet (3 meters) deep.
- Dark streaks in the crater come from surface material changed by solar wind and micrometeorites.
- Bright streaks are fresh rocks and dirt thrown from deeper below the moon’s surface.
- The orbiter orbits the moon every two hours and took six days to capture photos after the crash.
- The spacecraft has been orbiting the moon since 2009 and helps NASA plan to send astronauts back there.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
