Korea's Lunar Orbiter Captures First Photos of SpaceX Rocket Crater on the Moon

Images taken by South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter, shared by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, show the fresh crater left by a SpaceX Falcon 9 second stage that impacted the Moon after more than a year in an unstable orbit. The photos, captured before and after the event, match astronomers’ forecasts of a crater dozens of feet across and roughly 12 feet deep. Earlier observations with the Very Large Telescope had identified sodium and lithium rising from the site, confirming the strike.

SpaceX explained that the stage could not be de-orbited in a controlled manner due to the high-energy lunar transfer mission, and solar activity and gravity eventually guided it to the Moon. NASA and other agencies had cautioned that viewing the impact would be difficult, but the new images provide concrete proof. Further analysis and possibly sharper images are expected once additional data validation is completed.