The first images of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage impact on the moon's surface have emerged. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute shared photographs captured by its lunar orbiter, the Danuri, which flew over the region shortly after the impact.

Astronomers predict that the collision likely created a crater several feet wide and deep. This marks a new chapter in space debris management as rockets now routinely crash-land on our natural satellite.

Why did it happen? The rocket, launched in January 2025 to deliver lunar landers, drifted into an unstable orbit over a year due to the gravitational pull of Earth, the moon and the sun. SpaceX stated that for most missions, they plan controlled deorbiting, but high-energy missions like this one sometimes don’t allow it.

Even with higher resolution images in the future, getting a detailed look at the crater might be challenging due to its small size relative to the vast lunar surface. NASA and KARI are now working together to find optimal disposal solutions for such objects in similar orbits.