SpaceX Rocket Collides with the Moon

(Digital Itla) After drifting aimlessly in space for a year and a half, a SpaceX rocket booster has crashed into the Moon. Will it affect Earth?

According to foreign media, an upper-stage booster launched by SpaceX collided with the lunar surface after drifting in space for 1.5 years.

Reports indicate that the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket hit the lunar surface. Weighing approximately 4,000 kg and standing roughly as tall as a five-story building, the booster was originally launched in January 2025 as part of a joint US-Japan lunar mission.

Upon completing its mission, the rocket stage drifted through space. The combined gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun altered its trajectory, ultimately drawing it into a collision with the lunar surface.

Experts noted that the rocket's first-stage booster successfully returned to Earth after launch, whereas the second stage—used to push payloads toward lunar orbits—remained in space.

Juliana Scheiman, Director of NASA Science and Dragon Programs at SpaceX, explained that rocket upper stages are typically burned up in Earth's atmosphere during low-Earth orbit missions, but high-energy missions require different protocols. She noted all safety protocols were adhered to, though gravitational interactions and solar activity shifted the booster's path over time.

Experts assured that the impact poses no threat to Earth, though it remains scientifically significant for observing lunar impact effects and space debris behavior.