Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon
A NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon captured the clearest images yet of a crater created by the impact of a SpaceX rocket. The impact occurred on August 5th when the Falcon rocket’s upper stage crashed into the moon at 5,400 mph after drifting in space for over a year; this event was part of NASA’s efforts to commercialize lunar exploration, including launching lunar landers adn experimental equipment. The newly released photos reveal that the crater is approximately 18 meters across and less then 3 meters deep, showing distinct dark and bright streaks-representing excavated surface material and fresh rocks-emanating from the impact site. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured these images a week after the collision from 96 kilometers above, completing a lunar orbit every two hours. South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft was the first to transmit photos of the impact. NASA continues its mission to study and explore the lunar surface in preparation for future human missions.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A NASA spacecraft circling the moon is providing the sharpest views yet of the crater carved by a crashing SpaceX rocket.
The space agency released before-and-after photos of the impact area on Tuesday.
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The Falcon rocket’s upper stage plowed into the moon at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) on Aug. 5 after drifting through space for more than a year. It launched a pair of private moon landers with experiments and even a tiny rover in 2025 as part of NASA’s push to commercialize lunar exploration.
Based on these new photos by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the fresh crater appears to be 60 feet (18 meters) across and less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep, according to scientists.
Dark and bright streaks are clearly visible emanating like butterfly wings from the crater. The darker lines represent excavated material that was close to the surface and shaped by eons of solar wind, cosmic rays and micrometeorite strikes. The brighter rays indicate fresh rocks and dirt that were hurled from farther down.
The spacecraft photographed the crater a week after the collision from 60 miles (96 kilometers) up, while zooming along at one mile per second. Flight controllers had to tilt the spacecraft so its cameras pointed toward the impact scene.
The orbiter completes a lunar polar orbit every two hours, as the moon rotates beneath. It took six days before the crash scene came into view.
South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft was first on the scene to beam back photos.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been orbiting the moon since 2009, serving as NASA’s up-close eyes as the space agency works to return astronauts to the lunar surface.
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