--- title: "NASA Images Show 60-Foot Crater From SpaceX Moon Impact" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/spacex-moon-crater-60-feet-6vgsx publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Science & Technology published: 2026-08-19T23:30:42.245Z modified: 2026-08-20T01:00:04.585Z language: en-IN --- # NASA Images Show 60-Foot Crater From SpaceX Moon Impact NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a 60-foot-wide, under-10-foot-deep crater after SpaceX’s Falcon 9 upper stage struck the Moon on Aug. 5, 2026. Images from Aug. 11–12 show ray patterns and disturbed material, with global collaboration guiding trajectory tracking and site confirmation. ## Key takeaways - A SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage created a 60-foot wide crater, less than 10 feet deep, on the Moon on August 5, 2026. - LRO imagery from August 11–12, at about 60 miles altitude, visualized the crater and surrounding ejecta rays. - The event occurred during a mission linked to Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander and ispace’s RESILIENCE lander, launched from Florida in January 2025. ## What Happened On August 5, 2026, a portion of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket upper stage collided with the Moon. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) photographed the impact site between August 11 and August 12 from roughly 60 miles above the lunar surface, revealing a crater about 60 feet in width and less than 10 feet in depth. Bright and dark rays extending from the crater were observed, indicating material ejected during the impact. The Falcon 9 stage had been traveling about 5,400 mph prior to impact and weighed nearly 9,000 pounds at the time of collision. The rocket launch originated from Florida in January 2025 and was part of a mission that included Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander and ispace’s RESILIENCE lander. The initial forecast by scientists suggested a crater in the range of about 65 to 100 feet wide and up to about 16 feet deep; the measured crater is shallower and at the low end of that predicted range. Tracking the rocket’s trajectory involved a global effort, with NASA’s JPL refining the trajectory after tracking data and sharing that information with international partners for cross-checking against the predicted impact site. ## Why It Matters The observation provides a concrete measurement of a lunar impact from a modern launch vehicle upper stage, informing models of crater formation on the Moon and the behavior of ejecta rays under lunar conditions. The event also demonstrates the ability of international teams and private entities to collaborate on trajectory tracking and site verification, using public data and expert analysis to pinpoint a precise impact location on the lunar surface. ## Background The upper-stage involved was part of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket employed in a January 2025 mission from Cape Canaveral to support Firefly Aerospace’s lunar lander and ispace’s RESILIENCE lander. While the mission’s landers had separate outcomes, the Falcon 9 upper stage continued in an elongated orbit before collision with the Moon. Prior to the event, scientists predicted a crater within a broad width and depth range, with actual measurements falling near the lower bound of that expectation. ## Key Facts - Imaged crater size: about 60 feet wide and under 10 feet deep. - Impact date: August 5, 2026. - LRO imaging window: August 11–12, 2026, from ~60 miles altitude. - Impact velocity: ~5,400 mph. - Rocket mass at impact: ~9,000 pounds. - Launch origin: Florida, January 2025. - Payloads associated: Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1 lander and ispace’s RESILIENCE lander. - Predicted crater size (preliminary): 65–100 feet wide; depth ~16 feet. - Measured crater depth and width fall at the low end of predicted range. - Trajectory tracking involved global collaboration and JPL refinement of the impact location. ## What Happens Next NASA and researchers will continue analyzing the geomorphology of the site, including the extent and distribution of ejecta rays and subsurface material disturbed by the impact, to improve understanding of lunar impact processes and crater formation under actual mission conditions. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/spacex-moon-crater-60-feet-6vgsx Reported from: Multiple Sources