Space & Astronomy

By T.K. Randall
August 2, 2026

Image: Earthset
Credit: (PD) NASA

A spectacular and destructive event will take place this week when the upper stage of a rocket will impact on the lunar surface.

It will be a spectacle that was never supposed to happen - another unexpected consequence of the sheer number of objects that have been ending up in orbit around our planet.

The rocket's upper stage, which will hit the Moon near Einstein Crater on Wednesday, is expected to slam into the lunar surface at 5,400mph (that's seven times the speed of sound).

This will be the second time that something like this has happened within the last four years - back in 2022 a section of a Chinese rocket impacted on the Moon's far side.

Such collisions can often be avoided with a little forethought. After completing their missions, spent rocket stages can be given a small final burn to place them into orbit around the Sun, preventing them from accidentally colliding with the Moon or eventually returning to Earth.

After the collision happens, a new crater will be formed and the plume of ejected material will reach up into space and be visible to astronomers on Earth for quite some time.

Scientists are hoping to use the event to help determine how much of a risk such impacts will pose to a future manned presence on the Moon - it is obviously not ideal to have large rocket parts falling from the sky.

In the future, it may become necessary to track space debris for impending lunar impacts and for space agencies and companies to ensure that their rockets do not pose a risk to manned outposts.

Source: The Guardian

Tags: Rocket, Moon, SpaceX