SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage set to hit moon near Einstein Crater
Bengaluru: Astronomers are tracking a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage that is expected to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026 at 12:05 pm IST.
The impact is currently projected near Einstein Crater on the lunar surface, according to calculations by independent astronomer Bill Gray.
The rocket stage was left in space after a Falcon 9 launch in January 2025, when it carried two satellites toward the Moon. SpaceX abandoned the upper stage in an unstable orbit because it did not have enough fuel to return to Earth or travel into deep space.
Over the past year, the stage’s trajectory has been closely watched. Mr. Gray said small changes in orbit could have made it miss the Moon entirely. After gathering more data through January 2026, he said he was “100% sure” the stage was on a collision course.
Scientists are using this event to study the impact and its effects on the lunar environment. While the stage is not controlled, impacts like this can help researchers understand how debris behaves on the Moon and how to track space junk in cislunar space.
The Falcon 9 upper stage is one of several pieces of human-made debris that have unintentionally struck the Moon in recent years. Astronomers worldwide will be monitoring the impact window on August 5 for any observations that can be made from ground-based telescopes.
