DiscoveryAugust 17, 2026

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photos new Moon crater from SpaceX stage

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has imaged a fresh crater created when a discarded Falcon 9 upper stage struck the lunar surface earlier this month.

A Fresh, Lunar-Like Crater on Mars
A Fresh, Lunar-Like Crater on Mars · NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona, Public domain (NASA)

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images on August 11 and 12 of a newly formed crater on the lunar surface. The impact occurred on August 5 when a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage crashed into the Moon at approximately 8,700 kilometers per hour.

The upper stage was originally launched in January 2025 during the Firefly Blue Ghost 1 mission. The imagery provides fresh details on how uncontrolled spacecraft impacts reshape the lunar terrain.

See Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in the map