On Wednesday, a SpaceX rocket carrying lunar landers collided with the moon, aligning with scientists’ predictions after drifting off course for an extended period. Although the 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) impact wasn’t directly observed, astronomers in Chile recorded a debris plume from the collision using a telescope. Experts in space tracking anticipated this outcome, considering the leftover rocket section’s trajectory.

Lunar debris remains a concern as the U.S. and China compete in lunar exploration. Past instances include a Chinese rocket hitting the moon in 2022, with other undocumented impacts suggested over previous decades. Julianna Scheiman from SpaceX indicated solar activity and gravitational forces inadvertently led to this incident.

Carl Schmidt of Boston University expressed confidence in his team’s observations confirming the lunar crash. The European Southern Observatory’s telescope identified sodium and lithium stretching for miles (tens of kilometers) post-impact.

Retired astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell noted the rocket’s approach trajectory to a dusty area near Einstein Crater on the moon’s western limb. While challenging to detect from Earth, McDowell is convinced of the crash’s occurrence. He highlighted future confirmation from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, expected to capture impact site images next week.

This specific SpaceX rocket launched two lunar landers from Cape Canaveral in January 2025. The upper stage lost course but succeeded in delivering Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience to the moon. Resilience failed, but Blue Ghost became the first private spacecraft to land on the moon successfully.

The moon is increasingly favored for space exploration, with NASA planning numerous robotic missions to establish a lunar base. SpaceX and Blue Origin compete to provide lunar landers for NASA’s Artemis missions. Whilst SpaceX’s Starship completes test flights, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander has not yet launched. Both may participate in future terrestrial docking rehearsals, with astronauts potentially landing on the moon by 2028.

McDowell anticipated heightened lunar activity, warning that future impacts could stir significant lunar dust, becoming unacceptable in such a congested environment.

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