NASA Images Reveal 60-Foot Crater From SpaceX Booster Moon Impact
NASA released images Tuesday showing a roughly 60-foot-wide crater on the moon formed when a SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage struck the moon's Earth-facing side on August 5, 2026.[1]
The images show the crater is about 60 feet across and less than 10 feet deep.[1] NASA estimated the 8,800-pound upper stage hit at roughly 5,400 mph, with impact energy near three tons of TNT that left distinct dark and bright ejecta rays.[1]
On August 5, 2026, the upper stage impacted the moon's Earth-facing side at about 5,400 mph, according to mission data and agency reporting.[1]
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the site roughly one week after the impact from about 60 miles altitude after controllers tilted the spacecraft to aim at the target.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On August 5, 2026, an 8,800-pound SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage impacted the moon’s Earth-facing side at about 5,400 mph.
- NASA said Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images released August 18, 2026, show a new crater about 60 feet across and less than 10 feet deep.
- The booster’s impact energy was estimated at nearly 3 tons of TNT, producing distinct dark and bright ejecta rays around the crater.
- The orbiter captured the site roughly one week after impact from about 60 miles altitude after controllers tilted the spacecraft toward the target.
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