A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is expected to crash into the Moon on August 5, 2026, ending a long drift through space. The rocket hardware, described as a large section of the launch vehicle, has been tumbling between Earth and the Moon for more than a year after its mission ended.
Current projections say the object will strike the lunar surface near Einstein crater at roughly 5,400 mph. That makes the event an unusual case of human-made space hardware returning in the form of an unplanned Moon impact rather than burning up in Earth’s atmosphere or remaining in a stable orbit.
Scientists are interested because the collision could provide rare lunar impact data. A direct hit by a known object at a known speed can offer useful information about how the Moon’s surface reacts to a high-speed strike and how fresh impact marks form.
The expected SpaceX Falcon 9 moon impact also draws attention to what happens to old rocket stages once missions are over. In this case, a piece of launch equipment that had nowhere to go is now on course for a dramatic end on the lunar surface.
