New York (Web Desk): The approximately 4-ton second stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will collide with the surface of the Moon today. This rocket part remained in orbit after launching Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander into space in January 2025.
According to experts, the rocket component will hit the Moon’s Einstein crater at a speed of approximately 8,690 kilometers per hour, which could create a large cloud of dust rising from the lunar surface. However, this event will not be directly visible to the naked eye from Earth.
SpaceX has clarified that the collision is not intentional but an accidental event. Due to the additional power required for the lunar mission, the rocket’s second stage could not return toward Earth and remained in space. Later, solar effects and gravitational forces altered its path toward the Moon.
Space experts say that the collision will neither harm Earth nor pose any danger to humans. However, the event may provide new scientific information about the Moon. It also highlights the importance of safely managing unnecessary debris in space.