A South Korean satellite has captured images of the SpaceX rocket's impact on the Moon - Notebookcheck

How a South Korean Orbiter Tracked Down a SpaceX Rocket's Moon Crash Site

Space is vast, but it is far from empty. In March 2022, a spent rocket booster hurtled through the void and slammed into the far side of the Moon. Now, we have an incredible close-up view of the aftermath. South Korea’s lunar orbiter has captured stunning, high-resolution before-and-after images of the impact zone. This unique footage offers scientists a rare, real-world look at how human-made objects reshape other celestial bodies.

The Wild Journey of a Space Runaway

The story began in 2015 when SpaceX launched the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite. After successfully completing its mission, the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket ran out of fuel to return to Earth. Instead of burning up in our atmosphere, it became trapped in a chaotic orbit influenced by the gravity of both the Earth and the Moon. For seven years, this four-ton piece of space junk wandered aimlessly through the void.

Astronomers tracked its trajectory and predicted it would eventually crash into the lunar surface. On March 4, 2022, those predictions came true. Travelling at a blistering speed of over 5,800 miles per hour (9,300 km/h), the rocket stage struck the lunar far side. Because the collision happened on the side of the Moon facing away from Earth, scientists had to rely on orbiting spacecraft to inspect the damage.

How South Korea’s Danuri Captured the Crater

Enter Danuri, South Korea’s first-ever lunar orbiter, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO). Circling the Moon since late 2022, Danuri was tasked with photographing specific areas of interest on the lunar surface. Equipped with highly sensitive, state-of-the-art cameras, the spacecraft successfully located and photographed the mysterious SpaceX impact site.

The orbiter captured clear "before and after" views of the collision zone. The images reveal a distinct, freshly formed scar on the Moon's rugged landscape. Interestingly, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter had previously spotted the site, revealing a unique double crater. Danuri’s latest high-resolution observations confirm these findings and provide researchers with fresh, detailed data to study the physics of high-velocity space impacts.

What the Double Crater Teaches Us

The creation of a double crater—measuring roughly 18 meters (59 feet) and 15 meters (49 feet) in diameter—was a surprise to scientists. Typically, spent rocket boosters have most of their mass concentrated at the heavy engine end, while the rest consists of an empty fuel tank. This unusual mass distribution is likely what caused the rocket to strike at an angle, creating two overlapping craters instead of one single bowl.

Studying these artificial craters helps planetary scientists understand the structure of the lunar soil, known as regolith. Because we know the exact mass and speed of the SpaceX booster, this crash serves as a controlled physics experiment. By comparing the size of the crater to the rocket's impact energy, scientists can better estimate the age, depth, and composition of other natural craters on the Moon and throughout our solar system.

As humanity prepares for a new era of space exploration, including crewed missions to the Moon under NASA's Artemis program, understanding the lunar environment is more critical than ever. The incredible images sent back by South Korea's Danuri show us that space exploration is truly a global, collaborative effort. Each new photograph brings us closer to unlocking the secrets of our nearest celestial neighbor, proving that even a stray piece of space junk can pave the way for groundbreaking scientific discoveries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What exactly crashed into the Moon?
The spent second stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which was launched in 2015 for the DSCOVR mission, crashed into the Moon in March 2022.

Which satellite took the new photos of the crash site?
The images were captured by Danuri, South Korea’s first-ever lunar orbiter, also known as the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO).

Why did the rocket impact create a double crater?
The double crater was likely caused by the rocket’s uneven mass distribution. It had heavy engines at one end and an empty fuel tank at the other, causing it to hit the surface at an angle.

Can we see this crater from Earth?
No. The impact occurred on the far side of the Moon, which always faces away from Earth. It can only be observed by spacecraft orbiting the Moon.

Why is this impact useful for scientists?
Since scientists knew the exact mass, speed, and trajectory of the rocket booster, they can use the crater's dimensions to learn more about the density and structure of the Moon's surface soil.