Part of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which had been in orbit since January 2025, crashed into the Moon on Wednesday. South Korea's lunar orbiter captured images of the Moon before and after the impact.
The rocket's spent stage was left in a looping orbit that swung towards the Moon after its initial launch from Florida. Over 18 months, the gravitational pull of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, along with solar radiation pressure, nudged the debris onto a collision course with the lunar surface.
Astronomers tracking the rocket part had predicted its trajectory and eventual impact. The crash occurred during daylight for much of the world, but the resulting flash was too faint to be observed even with a telescope.
The Falcon 9 rocket that experienced the lunar impact was initially launched in January 2025 carrying two lunar landers. Its mission was to propel these landers out of Earth's orbit and towards the Moon.
This particular booster section was scheduled for its 18th flight on August 10, with plans to launch 29 Starlink satellites. The rocket stage that impacted the Moon was roughly the size of a five-story building and weighed at least 4,000 kilograms (8,800 pounds).
The images released by the South Korean space agency provide a visual record of the event, showing the Moon's surface before and after the debris impact near the Einstein Crater, an area also noted for its proximity to the Apollo 11 landing site.